In the category of hallucinations by climate change zealots, we have to give some kind of prize to “America is Losing the Green-Tech Race to China”, the New York Times email teaser hed on a piece by David Wallace-Wells that does not disappoint when it comes to goofiness. “You have probably heard about the miraculous growth of green energy around the world in recent years” he says. Which we have. But we don’t believe it because we also know that it’s heavily subsidized, piggybacks on conventional power sources and is causing a lot of trouble to those who’ve invested heavily in it. If it’s also a power grab by Beijing, we are not surprised.
Apparently Justin Trudeau is not the only liberal hypnotized by the ability of China’s “basic dictatorship” to turn on a dime and green its economy. Climate Home News just trumpeted some alleged “US-China rivalry for Argentina’s white gold”, also known as lithium. And you know what’s coming:
“Lithium is critical for manufacturing rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage, which the world needs to wean itself off fossil fuels.”
As it is very busy not doing. Meanwhile it seems that:
“Chinese companies have poured billions into Argentina’s lithium industry and have a bigger head start. But [“staunchly free-marketeer president, Javier”] Milei, courted by Tesla’s Elon Musk, favours political alignment with the US, which has promised investments and is concerned about China’s grip in its backyard. ‘After having been asleep at the wheel in terms of long-term strategic interests, the US is now trying to spot places where it may dislodge China’s dominance,’ commented Rachel Ziemba, of the Center for a New American Security.”
And over at the Times, Wallace-Wells gushes:
“in 2023, renewables for the first time provided 30 percent of all global electricity, and last month, in another first, fossil fuels provided less than a quarter of European Union power. But though the carbon reductions are most impressive in Europe, the green boom is overwhelmingly a Chinese story. More than half of all new solar power installed in the world last year was installed inside China. For wind power, the share was even larger: China was responsible for 60 percent of all new global capacity. In just three years, the country has more than doubled the total amount of solar and wind power installed within its borders; in the United States, what looks like a breakneck build-out over the same period has pushed capacity up by less than 50 percent. Batteries, too: Last year China manufactured storage capacity equal to total global demand.”
It is, as we have noted, characteristic of climate alarmism to see what it expects to see. For example in Australia, facing a looming energy shortage as the green revolution does the inevitable, the Prime Minister picked anti-nuclear zealot clapped-out politician Matt Kean to head the nag-a-thon jobs-for-the-kids “Climate Change Authority with the words:
“Mr Kean understands the opportunity that the transition to clean energy represents for our nation … and he also understands the folly that walking away from the renewables transition represents.”
The opportunity being to swelter in the dark, apparently.
Meanwhile Canary Media is all excited that “Mississippi just got its first utility-scale wind farm” meant to generate 184 MW “as the onshore wind industry attempts to rebound after a slow 2023”. (Incidentally Mississippi generates about 54.6 TWh of power so that wind farm is a drop in the river.) And where better? Uh, anywhere? As the story concedes, “Wind projects have historically struggled to take off in the U.S. Southeast for a few key reasons, including political opposition and a lack of favorable state renewable energy policies. The region also has relatively slower wind speeds at low altitudes, especially when compared with places like the Great Plains, which has made projects less attractive economically.” Yeah. No wind. But wait. Glory days:
“a new generation of taller and more powerful turbines is putting the Southeast’s wind resources within reach. The Delta wind project is using Vestas turbines with blades that can, at their highest point, reach 692 feet – making them the tallest onshore turbines in the country, according to AES.”
Hideous. Plus no bird is safe. Supposedly they’re “anchored to unique foundations specifically designed for support in the swampy, soft soil along the Mississippi River and to accommodate crop production.” Unless they’re not. And think of the concrete footprint alone, not to mention trying to dispose of that junk when it wears out. But still, what price good PR for Amazon, which is behind the project?
See renewable lovers always touting China's breakneck pace of production of solar panels and windmills,largely for export.Always omitting the weekly erection of another coal plant to power China's economy.Or the water boil advisories in many places due to their polluted waters.China just views these people as useful idiots in their plan to be the dominant nation on Earth by 2049,their centennial.