Thorium is increasingly touted as a possible lifeline for a struggling nuclear industry—and a major missed opportunity for the United States. Former UN weapons inspector Hans Blix recently told the BBC that thorium deserves serious attention, pointing to its safety advantages and the difficulty of using it for weapons.
Far more energy-dense than uranium and as common as lead, thorium has attracted global interest. China, India, Japan, France, Russia and the U.S. have all pursued thorium-based reactor research, especially after the Fukushima disaster renewed focus on safer nuclear options.
Yet thorium power remains largely theoretical. Beyond technical hurdles, critics say entrenched interests in the uranium fuel cycle have stalled progress. The dominance of uranium stretches back to World War II, when it became the preferred path for weapons production—a legacy that sidelined thorium for decades.
For advocates like Richard Martin, author of SuperFuel, thorium still offers a powerful alternative. But turning its promise into reality will require overcoming both scientific challenges and the inertia of an industry built around uranium.
