You Know - You Don't Know What You Don't Know

New York City NY

Description

"California has been a pioneer in pushing for rooftop solar power, building up the largest solar market in the U.S.," an article began. "More than 20 years and 1.3 million rooftops later, the bill is coming due." The Times' Rachel Kisela reported that many solar panels that were purchased beginning in 2006, when the California government "showered subsidies on homeowners" to inspire a transition away from fossil fuels, are now reaching the end of their lifespan. "Beginning in 2006, the state, focused on how to incentivize people to take up solar power, showered subsidies on homeowners who installed photovoltaic panels but had no comprehensive plan to dispose of them. Now, panels purchased under those programs are nearing the end of their 25-year lifecycle," Kisela reported. The problem is, when solar panels end up in landfills, "components that contain toxic heavy metals such as selenium and cadmium can contaminate groundwater." This is an example of how environmental policies can have unintended consequences. "The looming challenge over how to handle truckloads of contaminated waste illustrates how cutting-edge environmental policy can create unforeseen hazards down the road," You see "they" don't know what "they" don't know either, but "they" tell you it's truth at the time and many are dumb enough to believe it while listening to those that send you down the tubes.