The U.S. Could Be Powered For A Century Entirely By Its Own Nuclear Waste
Buried in high-security vaults lies the perfect solution to carbon-neutral energy
Nuclear waste is a controversial topic. The public perception of it resembles a Simpsons-like glowing green blob that gives fish three eyes and could easily be let out into the world by a single feckless technician. But in reality, this waste doesn’t actually glow green and isn’t even that dangerous. In fact, it could be a goldmine of carbon-neutral energy. Thanks to recent advancements in the development of “fast reactors,” the mountain of nuclear waste the U.S. has accumulated over the years is now able to be reused to produce copious amounts of energy. What’s more, there is enough of it to fully power the entire country for a hundred years without a drop of carbon dioxide. This technology could have a significant impact in our fight to save the planet from our own destructive behaviours. But how do fast reactors make power from nuclear waste? And can it really make the U.S. carbon-neutral?
You might be surprised to find out that our current nuclear reactors only turn about 0.5% of uranium’s total potential energy into electricity. This is partly because the reactors aren’t 100% efficient, and some energy is lost due to heat and radiation. But this is also…
