Thorium to light up the world | Srikumar Banerjee | TEDxCERN



This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Twenty percent of the world’s population have no access to electricity. As people’s aspirations for a better quality of life increases, the demand for energy will also rise. Finding efficient resources that can sustain humanity’s needs is a challenge, especially resources that will maintain the balance in the environment and reduce the possibility of climate change. Srikumar Banerjee presents the advantages of thorium as a cleaner and more sustainable energy source. Srikumar Banerjee, nuclear scientist and metallurgical engineer, is the Indian Department of Atomic Energy’s Chair Professor at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. Homi J. Bhabha, after whom the Centre is named, started India’s three-stage nuclear power programme in the 50s. It is one of the best-known efforts to develop thorium-based nuclear power, thorium having greater safety benefits, absence of non-fertile isotopes and higher occurrence and availability. Banerjee’s work provides the basis for analysing the microstructural evolution and radiation stability of structural materials in nuclear reactors. About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

Comments

  1. half life of thorium isotopes is very high...which makes it a highly radioactive material....this should be restricted...
  2. great talk by S Banerjee
  3. Nuclear energy IS THE WAY forward for us Indians. I'm quite optimistic about Thorium based reactors.
  4. 059 wrnog already not watching rest of video, there is no climate change caused by man, thats a crony commy tax parasite ploy to scam more unearned cash, and throum clean atommic is good see kirk thorium for more
  5. India is leading the way and all the other countries should follow. We should get rid of the uranium fission reactors and build thorium salt reactors instead. This would help clean-up the toxic nuclear waste created the by the uranium nuclear reactors. We should also get rid of giant power grid and locate many thorium salt reactors spread out across the country.
  6. Why not look for alternative energy instead of electricity?
  7. UK National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) in 2010:
    “... technically immature and currently not of interest to the utilities, representing significant financial investment and risk without notable benefits. In many cases, the benefits of the thorium fuel cycle have been over-stated.
  8. Our great scientists must shed light over this thorium utility program and bring this in the PM's knowledge so that it could be developed further. Why all r keeping mum ? please inform our great PM ji about this and start the work.
  9. India is currently most advanced in this field and i hope it maintain this lead..already the design of AHWR is ready for the reactor ..called as the one of the safest reactor in the world
  10. More thorium snake-oil. These people don't need a "couple billion" USD for developing this. Reasonable projections of USD100billion+/30+years for completely un-assured economic value, and a very serious proliferation risk. This is just the first stage in a very dangerous bait-and-switch of the public at large.
  11. i like how he talks :)
  12. nuclear waste addressed?

    also the only realistic and feasible way to reduce transmission loss for world wide power grid is to run hollow super conducting tubes with liquid nitrogen constantly pumped through them from continent to continent, which is a waste of time if countries can have cellular power generation as they currently do.
  13. illuminating!
  14. looks like there are no fossil fuel lobbies in India
  15. I cannot believe people are so ignorant to be even considering such a fairytale process.
  16. Indian Indian Indian
  17. Our world would already be self-sufficient and everyone would have access to wireless power if Morgan & Edison didn't sabotage Tesla. Greed is the root of all evil. Thorium is a good idea, ever wonder why we haven't implemented it yet? The answer is greed.
  18. Why isn't the world screeming for thorium reactors
  19. another problem UNMENTIONED: ENERGY MONOPOLIES DO NOT PRODUCE CHEAP ENERGY FOR THE MASSES... it SELLS AS EXPENSIVE AS POSSIBLE WHILE DUMPING ALL WASTE INTO THE OCEAN (CHEAP PRODUCTION). So that is were solar+batteries is superior - you can get a 100W-12V solarpanel+charging-controller for 150USD - hook it up to your car battery and you can charge like 10 phones a day.
  20. .


Additional Information:

Visibility: 189916

Duration: 14m 57s

Rating: 1921