China Installed More Solar Panels Last Year Than the U.S. Has in Total::China installed more new solar capacity last year than the total amount ever installed in any other country.

    • Wogi@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Let’s install solar panels on the moon! That’ll fucking show them. Beam the energy back to earth with giant fucking microwave dishes. Ohhh that would really piss off them damn reds

      • prole@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        We can do it, not because it’s easy, but because it is hard.

        Wait what? That’s an awful reason to do something.

      • JasonDJ@lemmy.zip
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        1 year ago

        Until it’s a new moon…

        Actually that raises an interesting point…the best time for solar, on earth, is when the panels are most directly hit.

        So since the moon is tidally locked to the earth, that means that there would be better ideal tilts at each longitude, so that whenever the sun is out, they are tilted to receive as much light as possible. But that also means that the panels only even receive light for half of the lunar cycle, at most.

        Right? Am I overthinking this?

        • Wogi@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          There are craters towards the poles that receive sunlight all the time. But you’d still have to build extra panels for the lunar cycle. Equatorial stations might be better, and if you built 3, 2 would be in direct sunlight almost all the time.

          Which is fine! Gives you time to do maintenance without any additional losses.

  • conditional_soup@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Currently seeing the US climate narrative shift from “why should we stop burning fossils and get our shit together when China won’t? >:(” to “why should we stop burning fossils and get our shit together when Senegal won’t? >:(” Can’t wait for 20 years from now when we’re balls deep in climate disasters, Senegal gets its shit together, and the US narrative moves to honduras El Salvador Uganda comparing itself to the Philippines.

    Holy crap you guys, it turns out that the narrative that the developing world is going to burn an ass-ton of fossil fuels is a lot weaker than I thought. It looks like there’s a fuckton of equatorial and global south countries with renewables/hydro power, Honduras is even adding Geothermal. God damn it, USA, get off your ass and fix your shit already.

    • rusticus@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      We’ve moved from 17% to 40% of total energy production coming from renewables since 2020. Thanks to Biden policies. Even though according to reddit he’s an incontinent dementia patient.

    • rottingleaf@lemmy.zip
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      1 year ago

      Renewables may be more plausible for some developing countries because of lack of competency or administrative consistency (sometimes to the degree of stealing everything which isn’t nailed to the floor) for centralized grid with a few big producers, and weak infrastructure in general.

      But of course it would be good if some things weren’t stagnating in countries without such factors.

      • fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        It’s also easier to justify adopting newer tech in places that are less developed. If you made a billion dollar investment and are still paying for it, it’s harder to scrap it and pivot.

    • redcalcium@lemmy.institute
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      1 year ago

      Same with EVs. After BYD became the largest EV manufacturer, suddenly EV is not cool anymore. Maybe if car manufacturers focus on making EV affordable instead of cramming more and more luxury features, maybe EV sales in US won’t dwindle.

      • TheIllustrativeMan@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        The anti-EV sentiment has been building much longer than BYD becoming the big boy on the block. About 8 months ago my state passed the equivalent of about a $100 per gallon tax on EV charging.

        • JJROKCZ@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Mine requires you to pay an extra like thousand dollars when buying your plates as an EV tax, they try to justify by saying they’re missing out on your fuel taxes for the next decade so they want to collect it up front.

          Then they go and spend it on hunting down women getting abortions and black kids existing…

    • ryathal@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      China needs a fuckload of power, they are building more of everything including coal. The only reason they aren’t building more coal is people like seeing out their windows.

      The US is actually winding down coal use. China is still expanding, this is a problem. The fact China also added a ton of solar panels is a nice distraction.

      • conditional_soup@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        I seem to have been working on old info, as China has decommissioned 70 GW of coal plants, but it looks like they also just approved a whole lot more of them.

        From Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/chinas-coal-country-full-steam-ahead-with-new-power-plants-despite-climate-2023-11-30/#:~:text=After 2025%2C it is unclear,and are phasing out plants.

        In the third quarter of this year, however, China permitted more new coal plants than in all of 2021, according to Greenpeace, even as most countries have stopped building new coal-fired power and are phasing out plants.

        Well, shit.

        Anyway, I’m glad for the solar and nuclear capacity (LOTS of it!) that China’s been building. I’m glad to hear that we are spinning down coal capacity, but I’d be interested to learn what we’re replacing it with. It seems like natural gas is all the rage these days, and that still produces GHG emissions.

        • Dudewitbow@lemmy.zip
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          1 year ago

          the coal is approved because on how power plants function. dirty energy is usually used to level out power spikes in demand, but not as a main source after you have a remeweable source. its a tually very hard to go 100% renewables.

          • ryathal@sh.itjust.works
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            1 year ago

            It’s less about balance and more about raw needs. Providing power to a billion people is hard and they are building everything to meet the growing demand.

            • rottingleaf@lemmy.zip
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              1 year ago

              I thought China’s population has stopped growing and is actually on a track to start shrinking rapidly?

              • redcalcium@lemmy.institute
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                1 year ago

                But at the same time, quality of life is rapidly improving which means energy usage per capita will eventually ramp up to similar level with average western citizen’s energy usage.

  • Skkorm@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    China’s govt has been trying to make their country as self sustaining as possible, this is part of that initiative. No one can tell you shit if you’re don’t rely on anyone for external things.

    • SparrowRanjitScaur@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Ya, it makes sense considering China imports 2/3 of their oil. Solar and EVs make a lot of sense when you don’t have much in the way of fossil fuels. Not even considering the environmental benefits

  • psychothumbs@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Fantastic. Remember guys, we’re all on the same side on this one. This should be a signal for the US to get its ass in gear to do the same, but it’s not like China expanding its renewable energy capacity is anything but great for everyone.

  • Spazz@lemmynsfw.com
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    1 year ago

    We’d have more if these right wing assholes would get onboard. You know they’re assholes because they’re attacking China in the comments rather than acknowledging this awesome milestone

  • Altofaltception@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    There’s a reason the US is targeting China from various fronts (trade restrictions, sanctions, etc.). China is a powerhouse and the US is terrified of being left behind.

    • sir_reginald@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I don’t get why you’re getting dowvoted. I guess there are a lot of Americans over here. But your statement is absolutely true. The US attempts at restricting China’s access to various technologies only make sense if they feel threatened by them.

    • Wanderer@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      China is doing a lot of shady stuff though.

      If the US really wanted to resolve it they would do more about patient infringement and spend more money on research.

  • Blackmist@feddit.uk
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    1 year ago

    Good. I assume it helps that most of the world’s solar panel manufacturing is based in China.

    The rest of the world should be ramping up production, not relying on China for cheap labour.

    • fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      I keep seeing more and more about the solar production in Georgia, USA ramping up!

      It great to see the world really going into green industrialzation.

      • RubberElectrons@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Cool part is we’ve got a functional safety system like OSHA so everyone goes home with all their fingers and toes, and the EPA keeps the nearby creeks from getting contaminated.

        Can’t say the same for other countries, troubled and fucked up as our country is.

          • RubberElectrons@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            You know how when you’re the first to do something, you’re also the first to make mistakes? Look at the Hanford site, for example. First place to ever process uranium and plutonium.

            Imagine knowing the results of being careless, and being careless anyway, after the fact. 😂 What’s wrong with you??

            To be clear: I believe most people anywhere want to be safe, and do a good job. Their administrators and governmental reps are the pieces of dogshit, ccp included, that ignore safety and individuality. The US has serious problems too, but again, we have safety organizations with teeth here.

    • umbrella@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      its obviously good for the rest of the world to industrialize, but they would just be moving carbon emissions from china to themselves.

      they themselves would need to transition to renewables if we want this move to be good for the climate.

        • umbrella@lemmy.ml
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          1 year ago

          well arab countries have visited them and found no problem and mass refugee movements arent happening. i think they should be fine.

          what did i say that was remotely related to them on my post?

    • hark@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      US total wealth: 139+ trillion (in USD)

      China total wealth: 84+ trillion (in USD)

      It’s not a function of population. It’s a function of wealth and the will to use that wealth to invest in clean energy. The US has entrenched interests in keeping the oil flowing. China isn’t investing in clean energy for altruism, they do it because they don’t have rich reserves of oil, but at least they’re doing the right thing, even if it’s not necessarily for the right reasons.

      • iAvicenna@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Agreed that wealth also is a relevant parameter. But it is also a function of the population because what fraction of your population’s power consumption is coming from a renewable source is a more interesting metric than your raw renewable power production.

        • umbrella@lemmy.ml
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          1 year ago

          global production is all outsourced to india and mainly china.

          their carbon emissions correspond not only to their own population, but to produce goods for most of the world.

          • iAvicenna@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            yes and hence why it is currently only reasonable to compare things like total renewable energy production vs total household energy requirements of a country. production energy is too global to tackle with this approach. and so why I just casually mentioned population is an important factor in how much renewable energy you should be producing.

  • JasonDJ@lemmy.zip
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    1 year ago

    Not really…you don’t want to be out doing maintenance at lunar night. We’d have to have some serious improvement in EVA suits, mechsuits, or robots.

    There’s a reason every Apollo mission landed at lunar dawn.

    • kattenluik@feddit.nl
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      1 year ago

      Probably every single one of them, but I’m guessing you just feel insecure about your country?

          • trackcharlie@lemmynsfw.com
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            1 year ago

            I was more referencing the fact that there’s a significant problem in china with the misappropriation of funds and replacing of real components and equipment with fake or non-functioning components and equipment.

            US has regulatory bodies that (sometimes) work on their own, China has regulatory bodies that only work when the state notices something is wrong, and by that time it’s too late and several billion yuan (RMB) deep.

            It’s not as though there’s an intended malevolence to the people by the CCP, it’s just that their organization structure and manner doesn’t allow for a lot of autonomy and requires direct orders to go into action.

  • من البحر إلى النهر@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    The rise of China is democratizing access to technology. My home government, supposedly a longtime partner of the US even doing its dirty work in Yemen, has struggled for years to get any tech transfer deal with the US, too many hoops to jump through. But were able to get many tech transfers from China recently. It was a major win and that technology includes solar panel manufacturing.

        • fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          Except in any defacto way, mainland has 0 control on the rule of law in Taiwan. They have their own taxes, military, laws, elections, etc, and again pay no taxes, follow no laws, they don’t partipate in mainlands gov, and don’t serve in their military.

          There is even some international recognition, but mainland does it’s best to hinder their diplomatic missions.

        • Crudely6553@lemmy.ml
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          1 year ago

          Taiwan is an independent and democratic country, unlike the totalitarian and pseudo-communist state that is China.

    • AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Too many hoops, like stop funding the terrorist groups that attacked The US on 9/11? Yeah, I can see how MBS might have some trust issues coming from The US.

      • من البحر إلى النهر@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Funny you accuse the Saudi government of what was an inside-job. The Saudi government exiled Bin Laden in the 1990s, revoking his citizenship, while the US was still working with him. Either way we don’t need it from you. China is making you irrelevant. You can’t withhold technology to bully the rest of the world. You can go pound sand.

        Also funny coming from a nation where a genocidal maniac is the lesser evil, someone who is bypassing Congress to send weapons to Israel and bomb Yemen. You keep your electoralism, and I am keeping our free healthcare, free universities and high speed rail.

        FYI, the US is guilty of multiple war crimes in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere. They are guilty right now of war crimes in Palestine. It is really tiring how you pretend to be the good guys. You are Homelander not Superman, and you are no longer the only player in town.

        • AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Shit were guilty of war crimes inside the US. Tell me something I don’t know.

          Thing is our government occasionally fucks up and does some good shit. MBS, and Ji Jinpooh don’t give two fucks about their own people or any others.

          MBS is still funding terrorist groups 24 years later, and murdering journalists.

          The US Government may be a soulless corporate structure bent on enriching itself. MBS is a parochial dictator that is just pissed off we don’t need his dino juice anymore.

        • Sarmyth@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Bro… the current leadership of China committed genocide on their own soil and have been attempting to expand their borders for decades.

          China is not a good partner for playing the lesser of 2 evils game. You’d be at it all day with the whataboutism.

  • Linkerbaan@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    China doesn’t have oil and they want to be energy independent. Because of this they heavily invest in renewables.

    It’s not like they are doing it to save the planet, but it does save the planet.

  • simonced@lemmy.one
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    1 year ago

    But they still have their crazy mines that polute right? No number of solar pannel will change anything if you don’t stop what you are doing that polutes.
    Same for all countries btw…

    • banneryear1868@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      China pollutes so much because the biggest consumer economy in the world deindustrialized and outsourced manufacturing to them.

      • 52fighters@sopuli.xyz
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        1 year ago

        China pollutes so much because George HW Bush and Bill Clinton pushed American jobs to China so CEOs could make bank on huge profits on cheap labor, unsafe work places, and near zero environmental regulation that was impossible in the United States. We built China by disregarding worker rights and the environment and we are paying for it dearly.

        • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          Why are we even bothering blaming politicians? Companies moved production over to cut costs and Americans wanted cheap shit. We could have all just bought made in America in the 80s if we cared, that would have been the time to make a stand while the transition was still happening.

    • Darkhoof@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      China is installing more energy production than any other country. Wind, solar, coal and nuclear. They are installing everything.

  • Kawawete@reddeet.com
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    1 year ago

    And opened more coal plants too lol, don’t be quick in praising the CCP, there’s always something shady in the background…

      • Thirdborne@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I still can’t wrap my head around the case for genocide in China. Political and religious oppression is evident, but aside from grainy photos of some prisoners, but I haven’t seen evidence of genocide. People are saying it though so… I guess it could be true?

    • endhits@lemmy.world
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      China is still developing and allowing European countries and the US to pollute unchecked but clutch your pearls when China and other countries do the same is ideological.

      This article is evidence that China is putting effort forward on renewables. Meanwhile, Germany is opening coal plants and the US can’t get a handle on anything at all.