The gentleman clad in white in the photograph to the right is a "regular guy" in Kuwait, who is the process of filling up his gas tank. The fact that he is frugal enough to pump his own gasoline should not be wasted on anyone. He is actually (metaphorically speaking, anyway) "recycling" his wealth, and stimulating the local economy of Kuwait. If I were a gambling sort of fellow, I would wager that this chap was paying a great deal less for his gasoline at the pump than you or I have to.Crude was up and over $115 U.S. per barrel recently in the United States and in other non-oil-producing nations. These are energy-dependent countries which are populous with tremendous demands for fossil fuels and limited price elasticity of demand when it comes to the "juice of life" (years ago, this was slang for blood...now it's found its way into being slang for gasoline).
Iraq, virtually the 51st State of the U.S. (albeit tax-exempt and non Spanish-speaking), is now amassing billions of dollars from international oil sales while the United States continues to expend billions on the war effort in their country. The U.S. and many of its G-8 allies sink deeper into a horrific recession (largely precipitated and exacerbated by higher fuel prices), while Iraq enjoys a windfall. A skeptic would question exactly what is driving the price of oil up -- there are many possible answers, but none of them sounds remotely like "free enterprise," or "The Law Of Supply and Demand." Oil is a controlled commodity, and it is becoming increasingly expensive as we drag our feet in acknowledging that we need an alternative. We don't need more oil -- we need an alternative. Now. And it is right here, in the form of Thorium.
Now, after years of behaving like a heroin addict looking for a new drug dealer instead of lasting treatment, the United States is joining its energy-consuming counterparts in seriously exploring alternatives. Some of these alternatives currently under consideration include:
- SHALE - Essentially this is the same old goo (oil) from a neglected source;
- SAND OIL - About as viable as Shale, but ridiculously expensive to process;
- ETHANOL FROM CORN - While this is good fuel (ask any hillbilly), it appears that the transformation from oil to ethanol will be quite time-consuming, expensive and risky -- corn farmers, anticipating a bonanza, are actually cutting their plantings to elevate the price of corn through "manufactured" scarcity. There could be a whole future generation of corn sheiks. So much for the myth that farmers are fools;
- COAL - It's filthy, it's poisonous, but it persists like a bad case of psoriasis -- and many Green Lobby proponents simply do not have a grasp of the facts concerning the inherent hazards of coal power;
- HYDROELECTRIC POWER - A romantic idea (it brings to mind Niagra Falls, etc.), but not economically or logistically practical. Also, as water shortages increase, or power supply decreases;
- WINDPOWER - The Men Of La Mancha are still tilting at windmills -- just not enough power capability;
- SOLAR ENERGY - A sensible back-up in equatorial countries, but simply not viable as a primary source;
- BEANS (See "Windpower"... just kidding) -
and
- THORIUM-BASED REACTORS.
Canada and China are working aggressively toward Thorium-powered safe reactors as a primary substitute for oil. India is the most progressive in the race to throw off the yoke of oil dependency through Thorium-fueled atomic power. In New Delhi, the first experimental Thorium-based reactor, commissioned by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), attained first criticality (power-producing capability) last week!
BARC's 300 MW Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR), will derive more than two-thirds of its power from Thorium. A recent article describes India's program and planning in detail. It is indeed worth reading.
For years the Western world joked about China's being a backward nation. Let us be careful not to make the same mistake again: Let's watch India very closely.
- THORIUM ENERGY, INC.
