http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/curt-stager/ Curt Stager is an ecologist, paleoclimatologist, and science writer with a PhD in biology and geology from Duke University. He has published more than three dozen climate and ecology-related articles in major journals, including Science and Quaternary Research, and has a long track record of writing for popular audiences in periodicals such as National Geographic and Adirondack Life. He teaches at Paul Smith’s College in the Adirondack mountains of upstate New York, and holds a research associate post at the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute, where he investigates the long-term history of climate in Africa, South America, and the polar regions. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/thorium-is-this-clean-green-energy-too-good-to-be-true/ As a scientist who studies natural climatic disruptions of the distant past and finds disturbing parallels with the vast changes that we’re setting in motion with today’s fossil fuel emissions, I’ve long favoured a switch to alternative energy sources. But having been an anti-nuke protester back in my college days, I’ve also been reluctant to support nuclear power thanks to the unresolved problems of meltdowns, waste storage, bomb proliferation, and terrorism.  Nonetheless, my attitude changed several months ago after a chance conversation with a geologist friend whose son is training to become nuclear engineer.  “He’s working on a new kind of reactor,” my friend explained, “It can’t melt down, it makes only minimal waste, and it can’t be used for making bombs.  Instead of running on uranium, it uses thorium instead, which is a lot safer to work with.”  feedback@thepunch.com.au (Curt Stager) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/thorium-is-this-clean-green-energy-too-good-to-be-true/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/thorium-is-this-clean-green-energy-too-good-to-be-true/#item5871 Mon, 23 May 2011 19:40:58 +0000 Curt Stager | Author bios | The Punch