Graham-

Nice link to how safe sodium cooled fission reactors might be, and backed up with data from a 20MW experimental plant.

Only one line of caution appears in the whole article:

"Although sodium can be dangerous if allowed direct contact with air or water, with appropriate care, it makes a nearly ideal coolant."

Do you suppose that "appropriate" engineering can be counted on to prevent such a leak in the highly active sodium coolant? Was such a leak the source of the partial melt-down of the Enrico Fermi plant near Detroit in 1966 (We Almost Lost Detroit)? Have we really lerned from this mistake?

Damn, I guess I'll have to reread some of my booring old reference books. It's so much more fun to shoot from the hip!

I was thinking that the Japanese had also experienced serious accidents in their sodium cooled fission plant. I could be imagining things, but real world experience is worth considering.

Nice to hear that Germany is investing in major solar eletricity production.

Someday we may get back to considering the tides for energy production as well. Maine is currently studying several sites for below water level tidal turbines.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble