Is a completely pollution free society an actual possibility?
With regard to the push towards additional human space travel in recent times, I wondered what would happen if a perfectly habitable planet was found. Would we immediately go there and pollute it with automobile exhaust, not-reusable materials etc.?
Scenario: We build a city on this new planet. All the work trucks are completely electric and don't pollute the air. All power to the city is provided by massive fields of solar panels, water turbines, and wind power. The only legal vehicles are 100% electric ones. Pollution and littering charges result in jail time at a minimum, in order to strongly encourage people to protect the environment.
Is this a possibility? Are there necessary elements to the construction of this society that require various forms of pollution, or is it a legitimate possibility to have a happy, thriving, pollution-free environment on this new, theoretical planet?
Love to know your thoughts. Thanks. :-)