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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009

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|NEXT STORY »

OPINION

'Green China' Marks Sputnik of 21st Century

US ignores race for clean energy at its own peril: Friedman

By Polly Davis Doig| Posted Sep 27, 09 11:55 AM CDT|

(Newser) – For those who think the past year will be defined by global recession, Tom Friedman says think again. Rather, for the New York Times columnist it is Red China's decision "to become Green China" that will spur a 21st-century technological race for clean energy—in the same way that Russia's launch of Sputnik belatedly prodded the US into the space race.

Choking from its own development, China is going green out of necessity, writes Friedman. And "watch out"—if the US fails to respond as it did in the '50s and '60s, "you will buy your next electric car, solar panels, batteries, and energy-efficiency software from China. It is the Sputnik of our day. We ignore it at our peril."

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (3)]

A worker monitors the production line of solar panels at a factory of Astronergy, a China based solar panel maker, in Hangzhou, in eastern China's Zhejiang province Wednesday Aug. 26, 2009. (AP Photo)

A worker shows products in a factory of Astronergy, a China based solar panel maker, in Hangzhou, in eastern China's Zhejiang province Wednesday Aug. 26, 2009. (AP Photo)

A solar panel is seen on top a subway station information pillar stand against the hazy skyline in Beijing, China, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

It’s like Sputnik went up and we think it’s just a shooting star. Too many of our politicians are still trapped in their own dumb-as-we-wanna-be bubble, where we’re always No. 1 - Thomas Friedman

If they invest in 21st-century technologies and we invest in 20th-century technologies, they’ll win. If we both invest in 21st-century technologies, challenging each other,
we all win. - David Sandalow, assistant energy secretary for policy

China’s leaders know that even if climate change were a hoax, the demand for clean, renewable power is going to soar as we add an estimated 2.5 billion people to the planet by 2050. - Thomas Friedman

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

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20 comments

VIEWING:

Newuser
Sep 27, 09 11:58 AM CDT

'dumb-as-we-wanna-be bubble' -- word! Reply

| 0 minutes ago

JoeQ
Sep 27, 09 12:31 PM CDT

The Germans are facing the opposite problem. They embraced "green" with government subsidies years ago. The result has been that a lot of their cash is going from Germany to China. The Chinese can build anything the Germans can build for 30 percent less. Any new invention or technological wrinkle and the Chinese will just basically steal it anyway. Not a lot of incentive there for new engineering companies to spring up. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

ksu92
Sep 27, 09 12:40 PM CDT

Is anyone else now actively praying for the death of Thomas Friedman? I am so tired of his smug, buzzword bullshit. Reply

-8

IN RESPONSE:

Doctor_Zaius
Sep 27, 09 1:10 PM CDT

Nope, just you.

IN RESPONSE:

Robert_Dada
Sep 27, 09 2:10 PM CDT

If you're tired of his bullshit then refute his position instead being childish and wishing for his death.

IN RESPONSE:

proud_prude
Sep 28, 09 3:56 AM CDT

Friedrnan's hidden agenda is dishonest advocacy of nuclear power, holding up France as a rnodel for the U.S. His opinions here deserve little rnore respect than those on the Bush Adrninistration's invasion of Iraq. France's atomic power industry is a failed radioactive flame. Its 58 reactors are unpopular, unsafe, uneconomical, dirty, direct agents of global warming, weapons proliferators and major generators of atomic waste for which there is no management solution. But self-proclaimed "green advocate" Thomas Friedman seems to think otherwise. While Friedman and his moneyed elite continue to grasp at the failed, centralized straw of atomic energy, technology and history have passed them by. Harvey Wasserrnan, Senior Advisor to Greanpeace, U.S.A.

| 0 minutes ago

Fromthemiddle
Sep 27, 09 1:34 PM CDT

Simplistic statements like this do nothing to address the actual situation. China is implementing these "green" solutions where no infrastructure currently exists. In the US, we have a fully deployed, very expensive infrastructure already in place. Friedman himself notes this without any examination of the impact on the argument. For the US to proceed on the same path is like saying to a homeowner "you need to have a more energy efficient house, but you will just have to demolish your old one and pay for a new one from scratch". A great argument for a headline, but I doubt you would see many people lining up to do it. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

dax
Sep 27, 09 2:41 PM CDT

Your "homeowner" analogy is also simplistic. This is not an "either/or" issue; not limited to a 100% or 0% response.---- There are plenty of intermediate transitional steps that should be supported that can have an immediate impact on energy/resource consumption.

IN RESPONSE:

Fromthemiddle
Sep 27, 09 6:30 PM CDT

Not at all, my analogy is for what Friedman is advocating and I think it's spot on. The intermediate steps are already happening. I see new wind turbines every week. There is a project right now putting water turbines in the east river in Manhattan. These things address the incremental growth in consumption and reduce some of the generation needs from existing plants, but to do what Friedman is suggesting would require replacement of existing, functional power plants. China is experiencing FAR greater growth in power needs then we are, and will be more "green" then we from a total supply standpoint as a natural outcome of this as they have these alternatives available. We did not when our major growth occurred. To try to start a competition with them trying to match their "greenness" is impossible and an emotional argument. And none of these technologies lend themselves to energy export anyway, so it's not like we will be competing with them to sell volts to other countries. Lastly, even If i am being simplistic, I have that option as I am just another nut spouting off on Newser, not publishing an article in the NYT.

IN RESPONSE:

dax
Sep 27, 09 8:59 PM CDT

Fromthemiddle (wrote): "but to do what Friedman is suggesting would require replacement of existing, functional power plants." ----- No it wouldn't nor is Friedman suggesting such in his column. China isn't going to shut down their existing power generation either. We need to push beyond the political posturing in the US and get the ball rolling on this issue, because the transition will be a long road.

IN RESPONSE:

dax
Sep 27, 09 9:02 PM CDT

Fromthemiddle (wrote): "Lastly, even If i am being simplistic, I have that option as I am just another nut spouting off on Newser, not publishing an article in the NYT. --- Which of course absolves your being simplistic.

| 0 minutes ago

dax
Sep 27, 09 2:33 PM CDT

The clock keeps ticking. Population counter keep clicking (upward). Non-renewable resources keep on drawing down. ----- The table for the sustainability party is being set, and right now the U.S.A. is not on the guest list. ----- China is subsidizing the marketing of their own solar PV in the U.S., undermining our own diminutive solar industry, and forcing our continued role as consumers (instead of producers) in the global marketplace.---- It's not easy choosing green. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Reader64481089
Sep 27, 09 2:44 PM CDT

Your last line says it all, it isn't easy.......nothing this country has ever done has come easy, not until the last few generations have things gotten as easy as they are and we have become complacent. Our children and grandchildren expect things to remain as it has always been at least a great majority of them do and they are going to be surprised to discover that they also will be called to sacrifice as out parents and grandparents before us were asked to sacrifice. If we need to push harder to accomplish the task Americans always have stepped up to the plate and got busy...I am nearing the end of my life cycle soi honestly I have done all I can do, I have turned my home more energy efficent and have more plans to continue to improve on what I have begun. What I do not have time nor patients for are the ones sitting with their collective thumbs up their...where ever they have them waiting on someone to do it for them...it is called evolve or fall to the way side and cease to exist, their choice. Hell I can grow a garden, as well as harvest and preserve the food, hunt fish what ever is needed to survive. How many young ones know how to keep going? That indeed is a mystery but they may soon discover they need at least a part of those skills to survive

IN RESPONSE:

dax
Sep 27, 09 9:16 PM CDT

Reader____089: I'm with you on addressing the things that are within the scope of the individual. But our ongoing political gyrations reflect and reinforce the generational changes of the last six decades that has led to rising expectations and personal slothfulness. ---- The "sea change" that is required to stimulate more sustainable consumer behavior, may come too late if solely reliant on market forces. The government and commercial sector needs to provide leadership and vision to move change ahead of the curve of crisis.

| 0 minutes ago

Mischa
Sep 27, 09 4:45 PM CDT

well said Reader Reply

| 0 minutes ago

freethemall
Sep 27, 09 5:44 PM CDT

Alvin Toffler was right. The second wave industrial civilization with its fossile fuel energy base is on the wane. It would behoove us to try to catch the third wave as it comes on. The energy base of the third wave is green. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Snarfeh
Sep 27, 09 11:48 PM CDT

"We live on environmental welfare. We run our world like an economy, not a community. We understand prices but not costs..... The conventional business model is based on 2 assumptions: all business prefers a monopoly, and all businesses aspire to growth without end, while assuming that we live in an environment with unlimited resources, and that our 200-year love affair with fossil fuels can be maintained indefinitely. However, unlimited growth is also the operating principle of the cancer cell, which eventually kills its host as well as itself." From the book "Think of an Elephant" by Paul Bailey Reply

| 0 minutes ago

riffran
Sep 28, 09 1:01 AM CDT

I would LOVE to go green and gridless, but dammit it is too expensive..The tech is out there, and has been out there for a long time, it is just the cost..I would love to get say...uh two 15,000 gallon tanks, one at ground level, and one at five feet or higher above the other one. fill the top one with water, and release it at a given rate via a water wheel to the bottom one, (there is the force to turn a generator), and have enough combined solar and wind powered pumps to recirculate the water back into the top one, as fast or faster than it's released....(it's a way to store the captured energy as "potential"...and have the top tank hold enough water to go a full 24 hours without filling...but try pricing what that would cost....over 100,000 easy Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Snarfeh
Sep 28, 09 12:09 PM CDT

I've considered building my own solar panels in order to get off the electric grid. They can be made for around $200.00.

| 0 minutes ago

riffran
Sep 28, 09 5:51 AM CDT

forgot to add, at 10 gallons per minute that would get you about 14,400 gallons out in a 24 hour period without refilling, leaving a leeway of about 600 gallons...so enough solar panels to run a few pumps that could in aggregate pump more that 10 gal per minute, and add wind to that equasion, and it could work...but damn would it be expensive to set up Reply

| 0 minutes ago

View all 20 comments »

China • technology • solar energy • green technology • Thomas Friedman

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'Green China' Marks Sputnik of 21st Century