China to be #1 in Wind Power
By next year, China will become the world's #1 manufacturer of wind turbines. At least two Chinese companies are about to unveil major export plans, flooding the market with cheaper turbines and posing a significant threat to the global wind turbine industry.
Since the US rejected the Kyoto climate treaty in 2001, the administration's position on global warming has been this: we aren't budging, unless the Chinese do. Looks like the Chinese have more than budged -- they've stolen a march on US industry.
China's willingness to take this step should serve as a rallying cry for the U.S. Right now we're in the global doghouse for refusing to ratify Kyoto. But Kyoto was doomed all along -- most Kyoto-ratifying nations have seen their emissions rise rather than decline.
This is a golden opportunity to get over Kyoto already, and for the U.S. to put forth a global vision of investment in clean energy. The United States, Europe, Canada, Australia and Japan should create a 10-year, $1 trillion energy fund to invest in a range of technologies, many of which (like solar panels and wind turbines) would be manufactured in China. The prospect of billions in new investment might be enough for China to agree to some emissions limits or even a carbon tax. Together, this new clean energy bloc could drive the commercialization of cheap clean energy technologies throughout the global economy.