thorium
What I fail to understand is all this insisting on thorium reserves. They mean virtually nothing. While uranium supply could turn problematic for thermal LWRs, all world yearly power needs could be covered by several thousand tonnes of Th. For China's 1 TWe by the middle of century, it's only 1000 t p.a. At such rate, the cost is irrelevant. Even if your encircle China by new Great Wall and occupy Mongolia, it could extract it from several dozens of million tons of ordinary clay. At insane cost of $1000/kg it's less tha $1 per capita. The problem is reactor technology, not fuel supply. Some penny-picking is OK, but do not make it into problem.
