>>471564>a dilute resource from large quantities of ocean waterAt scale it would be more cost efficient than uranium mining. Uranium is a salt and this captures it via ionic action, so you don't have to pump water or anything, it moves through osmotic pressure.
>environmental consequencesTechnically it's a filter and could be made to also extract heavy metal pollutants from the ocean, and have a ocean cleaning effect.
>still be trying to prop up a uranium industry when thorium-based nuclear powerSure thorium is a much better fission fuel, and given the choice between the 2 one would always pick Thorium.
But in this case the choices are different
a) the frogs go to war with Niger to secure their Uranium supply
b) the frogs avoid war and secure their Uranium supply by letting scientists and engineers play in the Mediterranean Sea.
Unless there's a third option where the frogs switch their nuclear power to thorium that I'm missing, option b) is much better than option a)