After receiving billions of dollars from the United States and other developed countries for "green" energy initiatives, emerging market countries like South Africa and Indonesia are backtracking on their promises. Alexandra Wexler, Sha Hua, and Matthew Dalton report for The Wall Street Journal: Wealthy nations are sending tens of billions of dollars to poorer ones for clean energy, the linchpin of a global strategy to cut greenhouse-gas emissions in the developing world. But two of the most ambitious efforts yet—in South Africa and Indonesia—are now at risk of unraveling, sowing doubts … [Read more...]
Happy Thanksgiving!
France Cracks Down on Pro-Palestine Rallies
French President Emmanuel Macron's government has banned rallies in support of Palestine, and after protesters held them anyway, police cracked down on the events. Reuters's Layli Foroudi and Michel Rose report: French police used teargas and water cannon to break up a banned rally in support of the Palestinian people in Paris on Thursday, as President Emmanuel Macron urged the French to remain united and refrain from bringing the Israel-Hamas conflict home. Macron's interior minister had earlier banned pro-Palestinian protests, saying they were "likely to generate disturbances to public … [Read more...]
Happy Labor Day!
Happy Independence Day
In a 3 July 1776, Founding Father John Adams wrote a letter to his wife, Abigail: "I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. -- I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and … [Read more...]
Is China Prepared to Dominate the EV Market?
Western governments have incited a global push for electric vehicles, and China has answered that call. Now China could dominate the industry the West had hoped to foster at home. Greg Ip reports for The Wall Street Journal: China rocked the auto world twice this year. First, its electric vehicles stunned Western rivals at the Shanghai auto show with their quality, features and price. Then came reports that in the first quarter of 2023 it dethroned Japan as the world’s largest auto exporter. How is China in contention to lead the world’s most lucrative and prestigious consumer goods … [Read more...]
Does AI Need More Time to Cook?
In the Financial Times, Delphine Strauss suggests that artificial intelligence (AI) could need more time before it really boosts productivity. She writes: “Very little of this stuff is plug and play . . . companies have to invest a lot of resources to reconfigure their business model for this new thing,” Syverson said. “New software, regulatory issues, all that stuff has to be figured out. There is a period where the technology is around and you can see the benefits but for lots of reasons . . . productivity goes down.” John Haltiwanger, professor at the University of Maryland, agreed that … [Read more...]
Happy Memorial Day!
While America Cuts Out Coal, China Digs Faster
While America continues to weaken its electric grid by shutting down coal power to cut emissions, China is ramping up coal use. Reuters reports: China plans to accelerate the approval of new coal mines and fast track the construction of already approved mines to support its baseload energy supply during demand spikes, Liang Changxin, an official from the National Energy Administration (NEA), said on Wednesday. Peak energy demand is expected to exceed 1.36 billion kilowatts this summer, representing a "significant increase on last year", Liang added. Some provinces could face power cuts … [Read more...]