The article also points out that this is not the first instance of improper disposal, citing an April report from the Chinese News Agency. Back in the era of major timber production, waterways were often the quickest and cheapest means to dump waste. Water is still a major component of electricity generation. In the case of coal, natural gas, and nuclear power, water is used to cool down reactors and generators. While this does not equate to dumping or leaching chemicals into the water, the effluent (released water) can often be much warmer than the body into which it enters, causing damage to ecosystems. If solar power is just going to create problems on the manufacturing side, as opposed to the energy production, then there is no (or little) gain to the environment. This provides another example of how clean technology can fail. Manufacturing materials for a sustainable future cannot merely relocate pollution. Much like electric cars that run on electricity generated by fossil fuels, solar producers that pollute do not further the aims of sustainability.
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