A Thorium-Salt Reactor Has Fired Up for the First Time in Four Decades
I think we're making a serious PR mistake calling these "Thorium Reactors" even though the term is accurate.<p>"Reactor" evokes "Nuclear Reactor". For many people, "nuclear reactor" is a deeply loaded term. Likewise "Thorium" (and other words that end in "-ium") sounds dangerously like "plutonium" and "uranium".<p>It doesn't <i>matter</i> how much better/safer this technology is. Don't expect the public to respond positively when we use those words. There's too much knee jerk, "no nukes!" baggage.<p>We should start calling these "salt power stations" or something else <i>accurate, yet non-threatening</i>. Otherwise, IMHO, it will be a steep uphill battle getting public and legislative support for building these things, <i>regardless</i> of their many benefits.