Solar panel manufacturing devastates the environment with toxic heavy metals, warns report

‘Solar energy sounds great in theory doesn’t it? What could possibly be better for the environment than making use of one of Earth’s most abundant natural resources: Sunlight. Plants use sunlight to create energy, and they do so flawlessly. It is no wonder that scientists have been seeking to use the sun as a source of energy and if humans were to replicate a technology like photosynthesis, it would be groundbreaking. But while solar energy may seem like the perfect solution to our energy woes, new research has shown it is not so benevolent.
While the theory is that solar energy is cleaner than other types of energy, the sad fact is that the environmental cost of solar panels outweighs the cost of nuclear energy, by far. A recent report from the pro-nuclear group Environmental Progress claims that solar panels produce 300 times more waste than nuclear power plants for every single unit of electricity produced. As it turns out, solar panels rely on a variety of heavy metals that are known to be toxic, such as lead and cadmium. This is made worse by the fact that very little has been done to plan for solar waste and the issues it might cause for the environment.’
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