[p2p-research] Earth's carrying capacity and Catton

[Ryan Lanham]

> Photovoltaic (current from light) is highly problematic so far.  It
>> produces
>> lots of waste plastics and requires many nasty chemicals.  Plus the
>> electronics burn out...some over longer times than others, but they burn
>> out.
>>
>
> Oh, come one. Citations? Solar panels usually have twenty to thirty year
> warranties, and seem to last even  longer. In thirty years we'll likely have
> all kinds of amazing material science -- maybe including nanotech
> disassemblers.
>

It's a great question.  What exactly are the waste products associated with
solar...and how much carbon is used to make a panel?

Whenever I ask these questions to the "green" solar manufacturers, I get
blank stares or angry and factless retorts.  I don't believe there is green
active solar yet.   Until someone shows that they have long mean-time
between failures, low waste energy and carbon costs per Kw/h, and can be
disposed of without major issues...I am skeptical of the whole industry.
For now, it is moot because the costs rule them out as serious contenders
for wide scale use.

That these are nasty to produce is not controversial. Cadmium and selenium
(both nasty) are widely used.  There are numerous patents and methods meant
to rectify the problems.  None are industry scale so far as I know.
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