| China Introduces "Solar Pollution" to Enviro Lexicon |
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| Written by Charlie Lawton | |
| Monday, 17 March 2008 | |
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Solar energy: It's clean, abundant, cheaper than carbon sequestration, and the technology is evolving at a breakneck pace. But as with so many things in this endlessly connected world, even the greenest tech can have a sickly brown underbelly. In this case, it's silicon tetrachloride, a highly toxic byproduct of the synthesis of polysilicon, the primary component of a solar panel. Chinese polysilicon plants have been documented dumping the noxious, bubbling white liquid on agricultural land and in nearby villages without treatment or remediation. The waste can be recycled and detoxified, but of course that comes with a price - a price that would hamper the manufacturers' ability to sell the valuable commodity at the lowest possible price. And, of course, China's environmental agencies are looking the other way, as they are wont to do. In other words, we now live in a world where the phrase "solar pollution" exists. The Washington Post relates eyewitness testimony of plant workers driving into the middle of a village, dumping the toxic waste into a tract of land between a cornfield and a school playground, and driving away without explanation. Company officials deny the allegation and insist that the waste is treated before it is released. Given that no Chinese plant has invested in the necessary technology to treat the waste, we're not sure how that's possible. This isn't necessarily to hate on all solar energy, and there are a large number of responsible, ecologically correct polysilicon manufacturers. And, for perspective, coal is a lot worse, even in the US where environmental protections are a little more serious than they are in China. But it's a cautionary tale we could all do well to take to heart - green is only green when the entire production process and service lifetime is green, too. And cheap solar panels don't need to come at the very expensive price of displaced pollution and sickness in China. Comments (6)
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I have been very enthused about the growth of solar companies and explosion of innovation in solar energy but to hear that this is going on is disheartening and frustrating. Do you have any idea how prevalent silicon tetrachloride is in solar tech?
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Yeah, OK, we can be the change that we want to see in the world. But unless powerful people in powerful positions want to be that change as well, nothing's going to change.
So now, finally, there's a place where you can go for news and analysis of politics from an environmental perspective.
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