Thorium

One of the main safety problems with uranium nuke plants is the use of high pressure steam. When the power goes off cooling water pumps fail and steam gets out of control and blow pipes and escapes. Thorium plants do not use steam and operate at atmospheric pressure. In addition thorium plants shut down when the power is lost and cannot melt down. The US went with uranium over thorium because thorium plants do not produce materials that can be used to build bombs. In addition thorium waste is much easier to dispose of and thorium plants can use stored radioactive materials as fuel and over time can deplete the nuke waste pile. Thorium is found in nature at much higher quantities than uranium and is much cheaper. This is a no brainer but politics is in the way. The Greenies don't want thorium and neither does the fossil fuel industry. Until the people wake up this is the way things will stay.