The U.S. International Trade Commission agreed in a unanimous vote today that Chinese solar manufacturers have benefited from illegal subsidies from its government and sold products at less than fair value, the final decision in more than a year-long trade tussle.
- Jonathan (GreenJoyment): China has been artificially keeping their exchange rates low, but if you look at the exchange rate, you’ll see that China has been allowing their currency to rise gradually, even while the US is “Quantitatively easing” the value of Chinese-held dollars down dramatically. I think this is the pot calling the kettle black.
President Obama made a nod to climate change in his reelection victory speech, but does he actually intend to act on the issue in his second term? Will he follow up on his 2008 promise to slow the rise of the oceans, or will he stick with his oil-, gas-, and pipeline-loving “all of the above” energy strategy? And could he get anything through Congress anyway?
- GreenJoyment(Ally): I enjoyed the fair-mindedness of this article – Obama can’t do it all by himself! He needs a little help from congress as well! And I think it’s important to keep in mind the other part of that equation – public discourse. If constituents continue to speak out about environmental issues, then public officials are more likely to address them.
President Obama won the 2012 US election last night, and in a powerful victory speech he called for climate action to address a nation that is “threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet“. The statement came after a long campaign that barely mentioned the environment, so now we look to our Commander in Chief to see what he will do in the face of a rapidly changing climate.
They might look like tiny specks in the Pacific Ocean, but the Tokelau islands have accomplished a big feat. Tokelau, a territory of New Zealand consisting of three atolls, has become the world’s first nation to get all of its electricity from solar power.
- Jonathan (GreenJoyment): I think this is AWESOME! Yes, Tokelau is tiny and has just 1500 people, and they get a fair amount of sun. But they get about as much annual sunlight as Colorado, USA. If every town of 1500, all around the world in a sunny area became 100% dependent on solar, we’d live on a much more peaceful and environmentally friendly planet.
With falling water tables, eroding soils, and rising temperatures making it difficult to feed growing populations, control of arable land and water resources is moving to center stage in the global struggle for food security. What will the geopolitics of food look like in a new era dominated by scarcity and food nationalism? Here are a few of the many facts from the book to consider…
If variety is the spice of life, then Tesla’s Model S should have even more zest next year. Speaking during the company’s third quarter financial results conference call, CEO Elon Musk dropped a bit of news that has raised our curiosity to levels of unmitigated distraction.