the technology that I describe is One of the most important technological drive

Question

the technology that I describe is One of the most important technological drive today is renewable energy. Solar panels have started playing a huge role in thus reducing the use of other energy resources such as biomass, coal etc. that pollute the environment a lot.

Now that you have introduced yourself and described a particular technology, take the next step to think about ethical concerns. Outline two to three ethical questions that are related to your proposed technology. What seems to be some of the major concerns? How could you begin thinking about answers to these questions?

Explanation / Answer

Solar energy is considered to be clean and renewable. However, the production of solar panels especially in countries like China are known to produce huge quantities of toxic and harmful wastes. Further, the production of the PV cells and panels leads to the production of huge quantities of green house gases. So the main question is whether the ends justify the means. Though the final product is definitely useful for the environment, the production process itself is not. These questions can be answered by the companies, by being more sustainable and environment friendly in their manufacturing activities. The companies must do sustainability reporting and must be careful that toxic wastes are not dumped illegally as in the case of China. Further they must come up with innovations to improve the recyclability of the materials. So, responsible manufacturing is the only way to answer the ethical questions being posed by the maufacture of solar panels.

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