There was an interesting article in the NY Times a couple of days ago about environmental problems in China due to Solar Panel production. One of the components, polysilicon, has an extremely toxic byproduct that is damaging to the environment if not properly handled. This situation of robbing Peter to pay Paul is definitely not a good response to environmental concerns. Its even more important to be critical of production processes for Green technology, and with China quickly positioning itself as a leader in this production, we all have to be wary of whether or not our environmentally-friendly product is doing more harm then good.

Thus goes the drive for profit. Its critical that the tech adopters pay attention to this kind of thing. It is sad that we may need to have a ‘green’ certification for manufacturers of ‘green’ technology.

Solar Energy Firms Leave Waste Behind in China

“The land where you dump or bury it will be infertile. No grass or trees will grow in the place. . . . It is like dynamite — it is poisonous, it is polluting. Human beings can never touch it,” said Ren Bingyan, a professor at the School of Material Sciences at Hebei Industrial University.”