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ABSTRACT:
Nanotechnologies have garnered widespread support from the scientific community for their potential benefits in many areas, including improving efficiency within the solar energy generation, transportation, and storage sectors. Despite such promise, there is increasing concern regarding the potential risks such technologies may pose to human health and the environment. Hence, while nanotechnologies are forecasted to advance the solar industry and its contributions toward global sustainability, such efforts may be thwarted by the fragmented and lax regulations currently imposed on such technologies. While traditional top-down regulatory models have garnered support as potential solutions, such methods are infeasible due to the everevolving nature of nanotechnologies and the uncertainty regarding the potential risks associated with the use of nanomaterials. Likewise, strict privatization of solar nanotechnology governance is untenable because this model would permit industry members to freely produce solar nanotechnologies without considering the potential adverse effects such innovations may pose to human health and the environment. This comment supports adopting a new governance model as an effective oversight mechanism to ensure the adequate identification of the potential exposures associated with the use of nanotechnology within the developing solar industry. In view of the proposed new governance approach to solar nanotechnology oversight, a public-private partnership between the EPA and a consortium of diverse solar nanotechnology-invested stakeholders should be formed as a collaborative effort to ensure the sustainable use of nanomaterials within the developing solar industry.
Technology causes problems as well as solves problems. Nobody has figured out a way to ensure that, as of tomorrow, technology won't create problems. Technology simply means increased power, which is why we have the global problems we face today .... -Jared Diamond
Energy suppliers and energy users are increasingly looking to technological and economic advancements in the solar industry as drivers in the push for energy sustainability. Despite significant progress in recent years, solar technologies are not yet competitive with traditional fossil fuel energy resources. Solar nanotechnology embodies a potential solution to this competitiveness problem. Such technologies are exalted by the scientific community for their potential to improve energy efficiency and thereby reduce costs within the solar generation, transportation, and storage sectors. However, uncertainty concerning the possible human health and environmental risks associated with nanomaterials has thus far discouraged the...