IN my previous column, I briefly mentioned the troubling issue of sourcing raw materials for the manufacture of solar power equipment, specifically cobalt, which mostly comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it is harvested under frankly horrible circumstances. That is not the only real or potential supply bottleneck that can put the brakes on renewable energy ambitions. Judging from some of the comments and questions I received in response to the last column, however, it seems those who are most ambitious would rather the problem not be brought up, lest it temper public enthusiasm for green energy and electric vehicles.
Well, too bad. As I said last week, good ideas that do not have one or more shortcomings are rare, and in order to make any good idea work, we have to understand its potential problems before we can correct or avoid them. If due diligence and risk assessment sound like criticism to you, then, with all due respect, that's a you problem.
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