Toxic time bomb of waste from solar panels in landfills
by Dr. Jay Lehr and Tom Harris
Listen to the article on America Out Loud.
Most people seem to believe that wind and solar panels produce no waste and have no negative environmental impacts. This is entirely wrong, explains energy and environment expert Isaac Orr, Policy Fellow at the Center of The American Experiment.
He says everything humans do has an environmental impact, whether it be mining, using a coal-fired power plant, or even tourism. When it comes to energy and environmental policy, the real question to ask is not “will there be an impact?” but rather, “can the impacts be minimized?” and “do the benefits outweigh the costs?”
Because everything has an effect on the environment, everyone must understand the impacts of all energy sources so we can make the best possible energy decisions. Whether we recognize it or not, we are constantly making trade-offs in our lives.
A recent article in Grist warns of a looming onslaught of solar waste as solar panels in the United States begin to reach the end of their 25-year lifetimes. The article begins:
“Solar panels are an increasingly important source of renewable power that will play an essential role in fighting climate change. They are also complex pieces of technology that become big, bulky sheets of electronic waste at the end of their lives — and right now, most of the world doesn’t have a plan for dealing with that.”
While their role in fighting climate change is untrue but the rest is accurate.
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