How long will uranium last?

last longer than 50 years at current use rates. But if it was being used to replace all fossil fuel power stations as some suggest, and being used in standard reactors, then current reserves will likely be used up in 50 years, and further reserves yet to be discovered might extend that to 100yrs.

But using it in breeder reactors dramatically improved the energy returns so it might last 300 years. And if you then add in Thorium [also a possible breeder fuel] it becomes a possible medium term energy source from a strictly technical perspective.

The bigger issue is the social threat of a widely nuclear breeder society. The sheer amount of fuel new and spent that would be in circulation would require massive security crackdowns. Police state type society and no real protection form determined terrorists who would find ways to secure materials for 'dirty' bombs.

Not to mention the difficulties of non proliferation of nuclear weapons. Breeder reactors make good sources of fissile material. Add to that the current political mistrust between nations and the hypocrisy of the nuclear industry.....you can't have nuclear fuel technology because we don't like your politics,[Iran] you can have nuclear weapons and we won't mention it, because we like your lobbyists [Israel].... You can have nuclear weapons and we will sell you more uranium anyway [India] You can have nuclear weapons because we can't stop you [North Korea/Pakistan]...

In this environment I just can't endorse a whole sale move to wide spread use of Nuclear energy as a solution to global energy needs. A partial assist in some circumstances for sure...but a solution...never.

Walaka is quite correct about her estiamtes. While I agree that nuclear power would not be a good thing to just give away to every and any third world country, I think it would make an excellent choice for the US as a whole. We do not have the security problems that a dictatorship would have, plus, if we wanted to nuke someone, we certainly have enough nuclear weapons without resorting the power plant fuel, so nuclear proliferation becomes a moot point.

Overall I think it is rather silly all of the C&T schemes, biofuels, costly solar panels, etc. etc. etc. A simple movement to thorium reactors could virtually eliminate all CO2. A simple plan of replacing coal plants when they are to old with thorium reactors, and we could be nearly CO2 free in 30-50 years. This plan would be much cheaper, cause none of this silly controversy and is far better than any plan coming out of the enviros who have constantly falsely derided nuclear power.

Note that with as much as the dem and repubs are now at each others throats,

In 2008, Senator Harry Reid (D-Nevada) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) introduced the Thorium Energy Independence and Security Act of 2008.

In 1974 they said oil would run out in 30 years even though we are now using 4 times as much as we did then. They just weren't looking too hard for other sources at the time. Uranium will be the same.

Uranium 238 has a half life of about 4.5 billion years.

Pretty much forever, since the half-life of U238 is 245,500 years -- that means in 245,500 years 1/2 will be gone, then in another 245,500 years another 1/2 of that, and so on and so on....

There's TONS of U-238 on the planet. It's just down deep where they have to spend money to get it -- radioactive metals are usually made that way by the intense pressure and temp near the mantle.

Itll still be here when your grandkids, grandkids are growing up

Just count your Head,s hair.

We'll find more. We always do.