Getting rid of nuclear waste

[Genecks]

I'm reading about nuclear waste. Supposedly, it can be dangerous because it gives off ionizing radiation.

 

Is there any way to put those emissions to work? Otherwise, is there a way to drain them from the source of emission at a faster rate?

 

Could a current technology that relates to ionizing radiation be adapted to soak the emissions and/or divert them?

[Moontanman]

I'm reading about nuclear waste. Supposedly, it can be dangerous because it gives off ionizing radiation.

 

Is there any way to put those emissions to work? Otherwise, is there a way to drain them from the source of emission at a faster rate?

 

Could a current technology that relates to ionizing radiation be adapted to soak the emissions and/or divert them?

 

There are several ways to reuse what we call nuclear waste, fast breeder reactors, generation 4 nuclear reactors use up what we call waste and leave behind much less waste in volume and weight and it has a short half life making it dangerous for much less time.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_IV_reactor

 

There are thorium reactors, breeder reactors, liquid metal reactors. What we call waste will eventually be used to generate energy, old nuclear dumps will be mined for the valuable energy they contain.

[Genecks]

I noticed there's another SFN thread about this, so I'm going to put out a crazy idea:

 

Let's say we could make a black hole.

 

Could an artificial black hole be used to destroy the radioactive waste?

Could it be used to change the state of the waste into something less harmful or easier to handle/dispose of?

Edited July 4, 2010 by Genecks

[Moontanman]

I noticed there's another SFN thread about this, so I'm going to put out a crazy idea:

 

Let's say we could make a black hole.

 

Could an artificial black hole be used to destroy the radioactive waste?

Could it be used to change the state of the waste into something less harmful or easier to handle/dispose of?

 

That's a new one to me for sure and if indeed you had a small black hole you could use it to not only git rid of waste it should give off considerable energy while doing so!

[John Cuthber]

I'd rather have a nuclear waste dump at the bottom of my garden than a block hole.