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Getbig Main Boards => Politics and Political Issues Board => Topic started by: kcballer on March 25, 2010, 09:52:15 AM
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China overtook the United States for the first time last year in the race to invest in wind, solar and other sources of so-called "clean energy," according to a comprehensive new report that raises questions of American competitiveness in a booming global market.
U.S. clean-energy investments approached $19 billion last year, according to report from the Pew Charitable Trusts, a little more than half the Chinese total of nearly $35 billion. Five years ago, China's investment in clean energy was just $2.5 billion.
The United States also slipped behind 10 other countries, including Canada and Mexico, in clean energy investments as a share of its national economy. Although part of the American investment decline last year can be attributed to the recession, the Pew report pointed to another factor constraining U.S. competitiveness: a lack of national mandates for renewable energy production or a surcharge on greenhouse gas emissions that would make fossil fuels more expensive.
The report warned that the current U.S. approach, in which states make varied efforts and the federal government's efforts have been sporadic, has produced a "comparatively weak clean energy economy" -- and risks losing out on economic growth and job creation.
"It's certainly the case that the countries and areas with higher investment in clean energy will be able to produce more jobs," said Chris Lafakis, an economist at Moody's Economy.com,which is working with Pew in tracking the green economy and jobs. Lafakis said investment is the No. 1 factor in green job growth. Worldwide, the report found clean-energy investment surging overall, more than doubling since 2005. Investment levels have already rebounded from the global financial crisis and are projected to grow 25 per cent this year, as nations increasingly seek energy sources that do not emit the heat-trapping gases produced by burning fossil fuels.
The study tallied public and private spending for cleanenergy equipment and generating capacity, as well as venture capital funding of companies involved in green industries and related areas. The figures are derived from Bloomberg New Energy Finance's database, and do not include investments in basic research and development in clean energy.
U.S. President Barack Obama has called for federal limits on carbon emissions and renewable power mandates, promising they will unleash investment and create jobs.
But the faster pace of such investments in other countries is already producing jobs that might otherwise have been created on American soil.
Spain, Germany and Italy have leveraged private cleanenergy investment, in part, by supporting wind and solar power with sustained financial incentives. Nowhere is the competition as strong as in China, with its globally dominant manufacturing base and wide-ranging government policies promoting clean-energy technology.
That reality already has lured significant American corporate investment into China.
Applied Materials Inc., the Silicon Valley equipment maker for semiconductor and other industries, last fall opened a huge solar research and development centre in the western Chinese city of Xian. Mark Pinto, Applied's corporate technology officer who recently moved to Beijing, said China's fast-growing solar-energy market was the main draw.
Pew reported that the United States still leads the world in clean-energy innovation and dominates venture capital funding in the sector. Some analysts say that's just as important as investment -- particularly for the question of how to avert catastrophic climate change.
"The global marathon to reduce greenhouse gas emissions requires a three-legged stool of policy, technology and capital," said Tracy Wolstencroft, global head of Environmental Markets at Goldman Sachs.
"This isn't just a competition against each other. We're in a global race to solve the problem."
Tribune Newspapers
If we ever want to be a manufacturing nation, now is the time to invest in it. Invest in our people, our universities and our future. Green tech is coming whether people are ready or not. China has the edge right now, but we can make it back up. Just think Detroit could once again be the hub of manufacturing in this country but instead of a rust belt, we have a green belt. 25% growth this year, lets get on this train NOW!
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China has plenty of oil in Taiwan.
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China has plenty of oil in Taiwan.
Yes they are spending 35 billion because they think oil is the future ::)
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Yes they are spending 35 billion because they think oil is the future ::)
People in Taiwan should be eternally grateful our debt is growing so fast.
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Sorry KC - Obama is blowing his wad on the following:
1. Health Care - 1 TRILLION
2. STIM BILL - 867 BILLION
3. AIG BAILOUT - 86 BILLION
4. GM & CHRYSLER TAKEOVER - 58 BILLION
5. FANNIE FREDDY BAILOUTS - 400 BILLION
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People in Taiwan should be eternally grateful our debt is growing so fast.
why cause we'd take over their oil reserves? Oil is a dead commodity. Is going to peak and be on the decline. There is no future 50-100 years down the road for the resource. It seems simpletons are the only ones who don't get this and think it's a great thing to keep drilling for a dying resource.
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Sorry KC - Obama is blowing his wad on the following:
1. Health Care - 1 TRILLION
2. STIM BILL - 867 BILLION
3. AIG BAILOUT - 86 BILLION
4. GM & CHRYSLER TAKEOVER - 58 BILLION
5. FANNIE FREDDY BAILOUTS - 400 BILLION
China owns a lot of our other debt. Maybe we can owe them al the costs associated with this mess and then default when they invade Taiwan for oil!!!!
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They apparently have a diabetes problem too.
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China faces diabetes epidemic: report
Mar 25 03:24 AM US/Eastern
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An obese man is seen eating fast food on a street in Beijing. China faces a...
China faces a diabetes epidemic, a new report warned Thursday, with rising obesity levels and an ageing population helping to trigger a major public health problem.
The study published in The New England Journal of Medicine estimates that more than 92 million men and women are living with diabetes in China, or almost one in 10 adults in the world's largest population.
"Our results indicate that diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the general adult population in China," the report said, adding that most cases remained undiagnosed.
"Given its large population, China may bear a higher diabetes-related burden than any other country."
The report said another 148.2 million were considered to be pre-diabetic, or showing early symptoms of developing diabetes, a condition that could lead to cardiovascular disease, China's leading cause of death.
It said that effects associated with rapid pace of growth and change in the world's third largest economy were a factor.
"The ageing of the population, urbanisation, nutritional changes, and decreasing levels of physical activity, with a consequent epidemic of obesity, have probably contributed to the rapid increase" in levels of diabetes in China, the report said.
The study was based on a sample of more than 46,000 adults aged 20 years or older from 14 provinces and municipalities, which the authors said was representative of the entire population.
The report said 9.7 percent of the adult population, accounting for more than 50 million men and 42 million women, lived with diabetes while pre-diabetes affected 15.5 percent, or 76 million men and 72 million women.
It urged that "public health measures should be undertaken to mitigate the consequences of new cases of diabetes."
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Lets look at this again.No nukes for us because Obama knows there is no place to put the waste.No drilling.Cant put in wind farms because everytime you try a lib like Feinstein and Kennedy say "not here".We tried the idiotic idea of using ethanol,but alas,it uses more energy to convert it then oil takes and makes food shortages for the rest of the world.Solar?Well,they cant harnass enough to make it work.So,perhaps KC you can tell me how we will get good from Cali. to Maine WITHOUT oil.
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Lets look at this again.No nukes for us because Obama knows there is no place to put the waste.No drilling.Cant put in wind farms because everytime you try a lib like Feinstein and Kennedy say "not here".We tried the idiotic idea of using ethanol,but alas,it uses more energy to convert it then oil takes and makes food shortages for the rest of the world.Solar?Well,they cant harnass enough to make it work.So,perhaps KC you can tell me how we will get good from Cali. to Maine WITHOUT oil.
Going Green means that the cash from your pocket goes to the govt and al gore.