Steampunk Table Lamp powered by spent nuclear waste

My "Steampunk Table Lamp" is based on the simple premise that the best way to deal with the ever growing nuclear waste crisis is to use it for something practical, like powering lighting fixtures, toasters and flat-screen aether vision boxes. It also demonstrates the massive amount of infrastructure, engineering and science lies behind our most simple tasks that used to be performed with kerosene and firewood. It does not have a switch, so it can't be turned off for 240,400 years, when it finally dims out.

The back-story to my obsession with the nuclear waste crisis: About 20 years ago I co-founded Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety (www.nuclearactive.org) a nuclear watchdog organization in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. We were opposing the Waste Isolation Pilot Project, or WIPP, near Carlsbad, NM, that was to "dispose", in a salt mine, low to mid level nuclear waste from weapons production. Through civil action and lawsuits we kept it closed for 10 years, and although it eventually opened, even now it's still under severe criticism and scrutiny.

I hope to share and explore the concerns many scientists and private citizens have over nuclear issues in upcoming projects.