2020 INSTITUTE

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ENERGY SOLUTIONS

Energy Sources:

Windpower
Biomass
Coal
Geothermal
Hydropower
Nuclear
Solar
Cold Fusion
Super Conductivity
Tidal

NUCLEAR

Things To Know:  We currently supply 20% of our nation's energy from 103 active reactors.  One negative factor is the generation of radioactive wastes.  The fact is, there have been radioactive mineral deposits in the crust and mantle of the earth for billions of years, and nobody has ever demanded these deposits be removed.  Of course, these deposits are seldom as concentrated or as potent as our waste.  Solutions now being worked on include salt deposit encasement, vitrification, and subduction disposal: http://www.etsu.edu/writing/3120f99/zctb3/nuclear2.htm, http://www.uic.com.au/wast.htm. 

Westinghouse and GE are the two major players in the reactor construction industry.  Their websites can be seen at: http://www.gepower.com/businesses/ge_nuclear/en/index.htm, http://www.westinghousenuclear.com/. 

Nuclear technology is now becoming more efficient: http://www.uic.com.au/nip77.htm, http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/thyd/ne161/alwong/ne161.html, http://nuclear.inl.gov/gen4/vhtr.shtml.  One day, you may be in the position to support, protest, or otherwise forbid the new construction of a reactor.  If this is the case, you might want more facts before you become a contributor to the effort.  The following web site is excellent in this sense: www.nei.org

Please advise the 2020 Institute if you feel we've left out any must see statistics or new technologies in this area or if you feel we've inadvertently misrepresented anything on this page. 

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