Aim High proposes using thorium energy to address environmental problems. Mankind's fossil fuel burning releases CO2 into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming and deadly air pollution. Natural resources are rapidly being depleted by world population growth. Safe, inexpensive energy from the liquid fluoride thorium reactor can stop much global warming and raise prosperity of humanity to adopt US and OECD lifestyles, which include lower, sustainable birth rates. Thorium fuel is transformed to uranium-233 which fissions, producing heat and electric power at a cost less than that from coal power plants--the only way to dissuade developing nations from burning coal. Thorium produces less than 1% of the long-lived radioactive waste of today's nuclear power plants. Existing nuclear power plant waste can be consumed. One ton of plentiful thorium costing $100,000 provides 1 GW-year of electric energy, enough for a city. A 5-year NASA-style shoot-the-moon project can complete technology development of this inexpensive, safe, clean power.
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About the Author
Institute for Lifelong Education at Dartmouth: Study leader 2007- SCORE Counselor 2000- Boston Scientific Corporation: Chief Information Officer 1994-2000 Arthur D. Little: Senior Consultant 1982-1994 Metropolitan Life Insurance Company: Vice President 1980-1982 DTSS Incorporated: President 1972-1980 Dartmouth College: Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Associate Director of Kiewit Computation Center 1967-78 Brown University: PhD Physics 1967 Dartmouth College: AB Mathematics 1961
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By Hilmantel
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The author discusses important and interesting ideas, and expresses them clearly. But the book is little more than a long pamphlet containing a PowerPoint presentation. When I ordered, I hadn't noticed that the description said it was only 40 pages. Most of the information is available on the author's website.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This booklet is a summary of Dr Hargraves' presentation to Dartmouth College, Columbia Earth Institute, American Nuclear Society, Washington DC lawmakers, and others. Its strong graphics illustrate how an overlooked technology could change the world. Better than carbon taxes, energy cheaper than from coal will dissuade developing nations from burning coal for the energy needed for a prosperous lifestyle as enjoyed in the OECD nations. This prosperity also leads women to have fewer children, ending the world overpopulation crisis that saps our dwindling natural resources and increases pollution.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Chad M
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This booklet is well-suited to the general public and provides a clear and interesting overview of carbon-free nuclear energy. As the James Lovelock writes, nuclear energy is a resource derived from the Earth itself, and is the only viable way to power modern civilization while at the same time avoiding global heating and a new "hot state" for the Earth.
The author shows how vast thorium resources can be used in nuclear reactors; how this process has a great safety record; and the very small amounts of manageable by-products can be stored.
There is also a discussion of several reactor types, including the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR). This reactor can be configured to use fuel mixture of uranium and thorium along with a gas coolant (helium, or carbon dioxide, or another inert or semi-inert gas).
The other Amazon critics who wanted a lengthy book may need to realize that the general public will not usually read 100 or 200 page technical journals, and are actually more likely to read Dr. Hargraves book. Hargraves book is also less costly than new hardcovers and it can easily be mailed to Congressional Representatives and Senators. For the Amazon critics who want longer books, such books are readily available from the IAEA for about $25 each. There are long discussions of thorium in the "Megawatts and Megatons" book, an overview of thorium in "Whole Earth Discipline" by Stewart Brand, and a summary in "Power Hungry" by Robert Bryce, . In addition, Pigford has a well written thorium fuel cycle book for about $20.
The PBMR can also be mass-produced in 120 Megawatt modular units, and the PBMR taps into vast thorium energy resources. Even better is the new MIT & UC-Berkeley designed PB-AHTR, which combines the inherent safety of the PBMR design with benefits of using liquid salt as a coolant (providing operation at much lower pressures and far higher efficiency, and a much higher output of Watts per Cubic Meter (W/m3) in the reactor core).
Regarding reactor types I would like to see more analysis of the PBMR, as this reactor is favored by the Department of Energy (DoE) Next Generation Nuclear Program, by Richard A. Muller (in "Physics for Future Presidents") and by Vaclav Smil in "Energy for Beginners". In addition, Vaclav Smil has an excellent discussion about nuclear energy and decides in favor of it in his new book "Energy Myths and Realities".
The author shows how vast thorium resources can be used in nuclear reactors; how this process has a great safety record; and the very small amounts of manageable by-products can be stored.
There is also a discussion of several reactor types, including the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR). This reactor can be configured to use fuel mixture of uranium and thorium along with a gas coolant (helium, or carbon dioxide, or another inert or semi-inert gas).
The other Amazon critics who wanted a lengthy book may need to realize that the general public will not usually read 100 or 200 page technical journals, and are actually more likely to read Dr. Hargraves book. Hargraves book is also less costly than new hardcovers and it can easily be mailed to Congressional Representatives and Senators. For the Amazon critics who want longer books, such books are readily available from the IAEA for about $25 each. There are long discussions of thorium in the "Megawatts and Megatons" book, an overview of thorium in "Whole Earth Discipline" by Stewart Brand, and a summary in "Power Hungry" by Robert Bryce, . In addition, Pigford has a well written thorium fuel cycle book for about $20.
The PBMR can also be mass-produced in 120 Megawatt modular units, and the PBMR taps into vast thorium energy resources. Even better is the new MIT & UC-Berkeley designed PB-AHTR, which combines the inherent safety of the PBMR design with benefits of using liquid salt as a coolant (providing operation at much lower pressures and far higher efficiency, and a much higher output of Watts per Cubic Meter (W/m3) in the reactor core).
Regarding reactor types I would like to see more analysis of the PBMR, as this reactor is favored by the Department of Energy (DoE) Next Generation Nuclear Program, by Richard A. Muller (in "Physics for Future Presidents") and by Vaclav Smil in "Energy for Beginners". In addition, Vaclav Smil has an excellent discussion about nuclear energy and decides in favor of it in his new book "Energy Myths and Realities".
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comprehensive Case for Thorium
Hargraves makes a complete case for thorium energy. He shows the world crisis that makes cheap and abundant energy necessary; he reviews other energy sources, demonstrating that... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Hershey Julien
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thorium power NOW
Excellent idea and good job presenting it. The world leaders need to know more about the options to creating clean abundant power and help to clean up the old uranium mess at the... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Bookaholic
2.0 out of 5 stars
Aim higher next time, Doc
"Aim High" isn't a book. It's not even a proper booklet or pamphlet. Rather, it's a power-point presentation also available for free at the author's website. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Ashtar Command
2.0 out of 5 stars
Worth it for half the price
In my haste to learn more about Thorium electrical generation, I ordered this book thinking it would be a real book, relating some of the history, principle players, etc... Read more
Published on October 6, 2010 by Remy Chevalier
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