This morning, Chairman Cliff Stearns, who leads the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, told NPR that "We can't compete with China to make solar panels and wind turbines."
This comment reflects exactly the sort of counterproductive defeatism that Energy Secretary Steven Chu warned against this weekend when he spoke to a group of America's most promising young solar innovators:
"The United States faces a choice today: Will we sit on the sidelines and fall behind or will we play to win the clean energy race? Some say this is a race America can't win. They're ready to wave the white flag and declare defeat... Others say this is a race America shouldn't even be in. They say we can't afford to invest in clean energy. I say we can't afford not to.
"It's not enough for our country to invent clean energy technologies -- we have to make them and use them too. Invented in America, made in America, and sold around the world -- that's how we'll create good jobs and lead in the 21st century."
The race for clean energy jobs and industries is on -- and it is a race well worth winning. The International Energy Agency projects that in the coming decades, solar power could grow to more than 20 percent of the world's electricity. Conservatively, this means that there is an economic opportunity worth trillions of dollars for whichever countries claim the lead. The global market for wind turbines is also growing exponentially.
But it's not just the vast potential of jobs tomorrow -- these industries employ a growing number of Americans today. In fact, business groups estimate that America's solar industry accounts for about 100,000 jobs and the wind industry employs 75,000. Should we simply tell those workers that we've given up on them?
A study released last month showed that, in spite of the intense global competition, the U.S. remains a net global exporter of solar technology -- with $5.6 billion in exports and an overall positive trade balance of $1.8 billion.
It is certainly true that China is playing to win. Last year alone, China offered its solar manufacturers $30 billion in government financing, vastly exceeding the U.S. investment. And China has overtaken the United States market share in solar power -- a technology we invented.
Chairman Stearns and other members of his party in Congress believe that America cannot, or should not, try to compete for jobs in a cutting edge and rapidly growing industry. We simply disagree: the answer to this challenge is not to wave the white flag and give up on American workers. America has never declared defeat after a single setback -- and we shouldn't start now.
America's entrepreneurs and innovators are still the very best in the world. Our workers are second to none -- and we have never been afraid of a challenge. It's time to do what we've always done in the face of a tough competitor: roll up our sleeves and recapture the lead.
Dan Pfeiffer is White House Communications Director. This post first appeared at the White House Blog.
So for every $1 raised in new energy taxes, cut government spending by $10. (Note: cuts must be actual reductions in spending based on 2007 actual spending base-line levels)
First, there are obviously a lot of things that we would never do because of that argument (repression of the internet, rampant water pollution, running roughshod over people's property rights ala 3 Gorges Dam).
China's energy situation is vastly different from ours, and thus their strategic and economic interests are. Their main resource is coal and they are only increasing its use to generate electricity. Meanwhile, they are trying to get electricity to the rural areas of the north and west. Generating via wind and solar may make sense in these applications given the remote locations and the cost of running expensive transmission to these consumers. Secondly, they will be growing the use of natural gas in their generation portfolio. They will be paying 3-4X the price of natural gas that the US does because they buy this gas on oil-related prices from places like Qatar and Russia. We have been blessed with abundant shale resources that gives us a significant cost advantage vs. the Chinese. .
What is promising is the technology for producing LED lighting, of which there are several promising US companies to watch over. LED lights could be a tremendous source of savings and their application is less intrusive than unsightly windmills or solar farms.
Just because someone disagrees with some of you here doesn't mean that we don't share the same goals of being more judicious with our resources.
Here's one easy to use link that provides ample refutation and honest insight into the change that is currently happening: importantmedia.org Knowing the way prefered opinion-shapers like to delete and deny, I don't expect this post to last long.
In other words, green tech is a false dream, and will remain a false dream until a world changing breakthrough occurs in physics, materials research, and engineering.
because the global economy has already fully embraced green tech. there's no turning back at this point. all the money, political will and innovation are all moving in that direction, despite what short-term thinking tbaggers are trying to sell you.
so, for the US, our choice isn't whether or not to invest in green tech, its a question of whether we are going to be leaders or if we are going to simply be consumers while other countries lead.
cause the green tech game is on.
there's no turning back now.
easy convincing argument:
the US has put $70 billion aside for our entire green tech initiative. wind, solar, all of it. meanwhile...China is putting aside $600 billion just for their green water conservation initiative. never mind wind, solar, etc.
so, china is already doubling down on green tech while we sit on our thumbs thanks to the repubs.
and if you look across the board globally, all the big players (germany, india, etc) have already put all their money, innovation and political towards green tech. they know that whoever owns the green tech owns the future. so now its either get in the game or get left behind. that's not my opinion. that's what's actually happening. that's simply the way it is.
with some time and R&D, green tech will obviously be profitable. and all the big players already know this.
the question now is whether the US will be a player in the game or will we just be consumers while others lead?
the problem with today's conservatives is that they don't even understand the question.
for too many years bush kept us on the sidelines while other countries took the lead on green tech. the longer we put it off, the farther we fall behind. and the clock is ticking.
they idea that "we will go green, but not now" means we will be consumers while other countries lead us thru the 21st century.
1. Have tariffs that artificially raise the cost of foreign products
2. Lower the costs to make US products
3. Keep the quality of US products very high to justify the cost thus retaining value.
As China, India, etc catch up technology-wise we always be at a loss with them increasing the value difference on more products.
the rest of the world says you're wrong.
and all of the money, political will and innovation is already moving away from you.
any country who wants to be a player in the 21st century must invest in green tech.
if not, we will simply be consumers while other countries lead the way.
Fossil fuels are 10 more cost effective, efficient and advanced than any renewable will ever be.
Green is us.
http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2011/10/on-new-meaning-of-human.html
But that's not the worse of it the Chinese are using old technology and dumping NF3 into the atmosphere in huge amounts. It's 17,000 times stronger than CO2 - long lived 500+ years in our atmosphereÂ!
Our government needs to take a page out of Corporate China's Play Book!
Give manufactures here subsidized electricity and bring back energy intensive manufacturing jobs back to America!
So does the US, just not as much.
Competition makes this scenario less likely to succeed than during the Cold War when foreign industries were still reeling from WWII. We can compete technologically (still), but the jobs won't be forthcoming. If people are necessary to a project, you can bet it will be:
Invented in America, made elsewhere, purchased here.
It's not annoying to me as a liberal - it's annoying to me as a human being. So you'll pardon me if when your "flag waves" I don't wave back....