EU Waiving Ban on Some Toxic Chemicals -- Good News for Big Oil

Right now, this is a great story for First Solar and solar panel manufacturers, in general, but industries across the board will end up using these toxic chemicals in myriad ways. It's the law of unintended consequences.

EU ministers voted on Friday to exempt solar panels from a ban on toxic substances in electrical goods, enabling leading maker First Solar to keep selling its products in the industry's biggest market.


The revised European Union law generally bans the use of six hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, including cadmium, which is used by U.S.-based First Solar -- the world's No. 1 solar company by market share -- in its panels.

This sort of reminds me of the story about California regulators allowing huge solar farm in area where desert tortoises are threatened. Ya gotta love it.