Thorium is a fertile but not fissile element.  You can hold a handful of thorium in your hands without the fear of a fusion reaction.  It is safe and poses no risk or danger in any form to mankind. A Liquid Fluroride Thorium Reactor (LFTR) operates in ambient pressure and does not require containment structures.  The reactor can be shut down at the flick of a switch and there is no risk of a Chernobyl or Fukushima type of accident. LFTRs can be factory built without much human intervention. Uranium reactors are controlled by humans and therefore has a high risk factor.  LFTR's are controlled by science and computers and in case of an error can be instantly shutdown. There is no possibility of building any weapons of mass destruction with LFTR and therefore has a high non-proliferation factor. LFTRs can be used to burn spent nuclear fuel from other nuclear reactors, forming another vital source of income.