Comment Re:So pathetic (Score 1) 111
Wrong. The P-N junctions in thermogenerators contain no silicon whatsoever. In early thermogenerators the junctions were created by using two different metals, and later thermogenerators use bismuth telluride in place of one of the metals. See the Wikipedia page on "Thermogenerator" for more detail.
If you want a valid argument on environmental costs, compare the environmental cost of using a thermogenerator to the environmental cost of the batteries it replaces. Balance that against lifetime: thermogenerators can last decades, as demonstrated by their continued operation as the power source in both Voyager spacecraft.
However, in THIS application, you are probably right about "destroying" power: they will consume more power in manufacture than they put out during their lifetime.