Clean tech producers, meaning the overall impact on the economy, with focus on the export or licensing, innovations and ideas going into use, the manufacturing of clean tech products, and the installation of same.
Denmark is the king, little Denmark. Good for them, those vikings and pretty blonde bike riders deserve our admiration. 3.1% of their GDP is from this.
China is second, and more interesting than the billions they are investing on clean energy and clean products is their amusement with the global warming debate centered mainly in the United States. For China they accept it, and spend no time on it. They see it as a market and are puzzled that industry and business in the US rather than competing for it are for the most part trying to block it. China's intent is to dominate the market for clean energy, it is a new industry and the traditional energy companies are not entering into it. While some of us cry about ice melting, Fox and friends cry about the lies of scientist, China is making solar panels and wind mills for themselves and the rest of the world. Although they are still building coal fired power plants, they actually plan to phase them out in the not so distant future.
Example of what we are doing in the US, Friday the state of Kansas a Republican controlled government set a large portion of the eastern 1/3 of the state off limits for wind energy. The Koch family owns hugh swaths of grass land in this region and fight all forms of alternative energy, they fear the environmental damage of wind mills. I have a tiny share of a small oil well in that area, the oil leaks out around the holding tanks into the creek, Koch Industries has a pick up service to transport the oil, they are the buyer, they write my little check, about $70 every 3 months, but they fear a wind mill will damage the earth, and the state government they own agreed. 3 weeks ago the state increased the speed limit on the highways after it was reported the sale of gasoline had decreased, driving faster uses more oil, sha-zam, thats our goal. The US is #17, for now!
the rest of the world 'accepts it' while we dither about it.
ReplyDeleteI know you're talking about Global Warming and you do have a point, but a bigger point is the fact that we (USA) seem to be 'dithering and dathering' about a lot of things as the rest of the world - moves on.
Where does that leave us?
Behind.
Fringe:
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely correct. China can see the future better than the US at this time. US leaders are blinded by greed. That is only one reason for China eventually dominating the 21st century in so many fields.
Ice you have it correct, where this leaves us is with old technology, kerosene lanterns in an LED lit night. Our industry is gambling a lot on continuing to make buggy whips when the spark plug is about to go out of fashion. This is a complete short sited and stubborn business envirnoment in the US. Adverse to taking chances, making decisions, investing, they are instead focused on defeating the black man in the White House, grubbing after tax breaks as they set on billions, make millions, and all the time the river of progress takes the Danes and the Chinese faster and farther into the future.
ReplyDeleteThey make millions, the Navy Seals that took on Bin Laden make 55k a year, who is the more valuable?
Whit:
ReplyDeleteAmazing isn't it that the former communist nation is now better at capitalism than we are, at least the investing building delivering part of it, we still have them whipped though on the selfish don't share anything part of it.
I think the idea in Kansas should be repeated worldwide. Who knows how many oil spills and environmental disasters have been caused by those nefarious windmills? I will write my congressman immediately and demand removal of all windmills. Furthermore, I'm sure that those damn solar panels are reflecting heat into the air and causing global warming, so they've gotta come out too.
ReplyDelete:-)
fringe -
ReplyDeleteYes, China does invest more than we do in clean enery and clean products. At the same time, they are building 2 500mw coal burning power plants per week!
Rising energy demand will continue to drive up coal consumption, particularly in countries with large reserves such as the United States, China and India.
This year alone China’s new plants will add about 500 million tons of carbon dioxide (Mt CO2) to China’s annual emissions. That’s about 13 percent of China’s current coal-fired emissions, and 5 percent of the world total.
Like you said, China looks at clean energy as a market and a way to increase their GDP. They don't seem to be too concerned about climate change!
Skinny,
ReplyDeleteIt's good that you will help.
Joram,
ReplyDeleteYou are correct, China continues to build lots of coal plants and some months ago surpassed the US in greenhouse gas crimes.
There are however at least some glimmers of hope in China. in the last 3 years they have closed a number of the most heavily polluting coal burning power plants. But the number of new as you point out being brought on line still increases the overall smoke output to a rapid increase.
According to an official Chinese news statement in Oslo on May 6th, (Reuters) China says they are nearing the end of building new coal burners and plants in the future will mainly be natural gas. This is good news, though it still releases CO2, though only half of what most coal does, it will completely eliminate soot, and I believe it eliminates all or near all lead, mercury, arsenic and low grade radio active compounds.
Hopefully, India, and other emerging nations will see China, the new economic shining star in the world moving away from coal and to a variety of alternatives, and they will copy these new technologies.
China is complex, I think they are truly worried about rising temperatures and spreading desertification in much of their land. On the other hand at Kyoto type events they are champion foot draggers and obstructionist like the US. I foresee in the near future they will vote for cleaning the planet, once they complete this cycle of coal plants and have the green energy market ready to spit out products like phones.
Correction above: "spit out products like popcorn."
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