this post was submitted on 22 Jan 2025
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Futurology

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The new US President has used his first 24 hours to pull all US government support for the green energy transition. He wants to ban any new wind energy projects and withdraw support for electric cars. His new energy policy refused to even mention solar panels, wind turbines, or battery storage - the world's fastest-growing energy sources. Meanwhile, he wants to pour money into dying and declining industries - like gasoline-powered cars and expanding oil drilling.

China was the global leader in 21st-century energy before, but its future global dominance is now assured. There will be trillions of dollars to be made supplying the planet with green energy infrastructure in the coming decades. Decarbonizing the planet, and electrifying the global south with renewables will be the largest industrial project in human history.

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[–] Ekpu@lemmy.world 2 points 32 minutes ago

I can only hope that we in Germany wan't do the same mistake. Renewable energy is cheaper by now and it would be a huge economic failure to dismiss this.

[–] cabron_offsets@lemmy.world 13 points 2 hours ago

Yeah. Republicans are fucktards.

[–] AbsolutelyNotAVelociraptor@sh.itjust.works 27 points 3 hours ago (4 children)

Don't worry, they'll just impose tariffs to China so China will bankrupt because the american market is the greatestest ever in the universe and everyone and their mother needs to sell their goods to them or they will go bankrupt too.

Or something like that.

[–] SARGE@startrek.website 4 points 27 minutes ago* (last edited 25 minutes ago)

I tried explaining tariffs to my in-laws.

They genuinely think that other countries will be paying the extra cost for the privilege of trading with the USA.

Completely refuse to believe they have to pay the extra cost out of their own pocket or the company will sell elsewhere.

Edit to add, these in-law's also think China is still mostly like their media-based perception of feudal Japan. As in "they only have two modern cities, Beijing and Tokyo" type of "knowledge" of China.

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 8 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

The US is just 16% of Chinese exports. Any tariff disruption will be made up for many, many times over by being OPEC of 21st century renewable energy to the rest of the world.

https://wits.worldbank.org/countrysnapshot/en/chn

[–] MrMakabar@slrpnk.net 5 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

It is not going to be the OPEC of the 21st century. The important part with oil, is that you need to buy more of it ones it is burned. With most green technologies, the products last decades. So any country being cut off can just work on developing their own. Obviously there are more countries then China and the US as well, which also have green technology companies.

[–] Philosofuel@futurology.today 6 points 2 hours ago (3 children)

It's indeed going to be different, because your selling some independence with renewable energy tech. Buy a solar panel from Chian now, and you have 25 years or more to figure out how to built your own replacement. but in the short to medium term at least (I expect) China will dominate these markets. I don't expect the EU or India, or other countries to catch up soon on the level and price of green tech that China now has.

[–] Skua@kbin.earth 5 points 1 hour ago

Europe is big on wind turbines, at least. Vestas, Siemens, and Nordex supply far more of the world outside of China than their Chinese competitors do based on this https://gwec.net/wind-turbine-manufacturers-see-record-year-driven-by-growth-in-home-markets/

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 4 points 2 hours ago

I don’t expect the EU or India, or other countries to catch up soon on the level and price of green tech that China now has.

Europe would be smart to mandate some of the billions they are going to spend on this, come from Euro-sources. It makes it much easier to match Chinese manufacturing economies for Euro-exports elsewhere.

[–] MrMakabar@slrpnk.net 3 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Green tech is a wide field. In wind turbines the two largest companies in the world are from the EU. High speed rail also has a lot of European companies with great technologies, as well as Japan. In the battery world Japan and South Korea have some large companies as well.

Solar is one of the areas, where China just rules though.

[–] Philosofuel@futurology.today 2 points 53 minutes ago

Thanks for the nuance, I was a bit generic, but you are right, their is more clean tech in other countries out there. But besides solar China is also big in EVs and batteries as well. We will see how it goes - really interested how some countries are leapfrogging in their development using more green energy technologies.

[–] ladicius@lemmy.world 8 points 3 hours ago

Three days max, then the Chinese will be on their knees.

Laughing their asses off.

[–] wise_pancake@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

Don’t sell too many goods to them, if there’s a trade deficit that’s “unfair”

[–] IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

If the US keep fucking itself, the first human on Mars will be Chinese, mark my words.

[–] JeeBaiChow@lemmy.world 6 points 2 hours ago

I mean why not? They've already handed the electric car market to their sino counterparts. And farming tech. And consumer drones. And...

[–] MrMakabar@slrpnk.net 3 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Yes the industry is massive, but there are also a lot of other countries in the world. Europe for example is trying to retool its car industry for EVs. Danish Vestas is the largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world and German-Spanish SiemensGamesa is the second largest. Japan and South Korea are strong in the battery manufacturing industry.

That is not to say that this is not scary to see Trump hurt the US economy this badly, but it is what the Americans have voted for.

[–] Captainvaqina@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 hour ago

but it is what the Americans have voted for.

No we didn't. The election was rigged, the toddler traitor said so himself in a fit of dementia.

[–] BlackLaZoR@fedia.io -5 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Green energy can ony replace fossil if it's inherently cheaper. Trying to push it with taxpayer money makes no difference

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 8 points 2 hours ago

Green energy can ony replace fossil if it’s inherently cheaper

But fossil fuels are "cheaper" with a shit ton of subsidies...

To get cheaper gas, everyone pays taxes, regardless of if you still buy gas or not.

If we end those subsidies, the cost of every fossil fuel skyrockets and people would naturally switch faster....

Like, you're saying "let the free market handle it" while actively ignoring that it's not a free market because the worst option is subsidized.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world -2 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

Meanwhile, he wants to pour money into dying and declining industries - like gasoline-powered cars and expanding oil drilling.

On one hand, I'm glad so many people will be agreeing with me the next four years...

But anyone who thinks that wasn't happening under Biden and wouldn't have continued under Kamala just didn't pay attention at all the last four years

The fossil fuel industry owns both parties, and have for decades now.

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 8 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Yes, the US political system is now even more corrupt than before. At least the Democrats were making some effort, and I'm sure blue states like California still will.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world -1 points 2 hours ago

At least the Democrats were making some effort

Mate...

If it takes your house 12 hours to burn down or a week...

What's the difference? The house is still actively burning down for that week.

Is it better? Yeah, but not enough to motivate people to fight for the week. If the choice was "burn down in 12 hours or not" then Dems would win every election because that's a very easy choice for people.

But the reason we don't get that choice is the same reason Kamala became pro-fracking:

Neoliberals care more about donations than votes. And fossil fuel corporations pay a lot in ~~bribes~~ donations

[–] quoll@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=61545 for any doubters, its just the first legit looking link that came up in ddg... ymmv.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world -1 points 2 hours ago

Good data, but I disagree with their prediction:

The crude oil production record in the United States in 2023 is unlikely to be broken in any other country in the near term because no other country has reached production capacity of 13.0 million b/d. Saudi Arabia’s state-owned Saudi Aramco recently scrapped plans to increase production capacity to 13.0 million b/d by 2027.

trumps gonna break it just for the reason that Biden broke his last record.

Out of sheer pettiness he's going to make it worse, and fossil fuel corporations will jump at the chance to expand