Why the US is letting China win on energy innovation
theconversation.com
China is roaring forward in the race to be the world’s clean energy powerhouse.
  • Maeve@lemmygrad.ml
    20·
    22 days ago

    Do the fossil fuel barons think the collapse will happen before they need to invest in green? They know peak oil already happened.

      • Maeve@lemmygrad.ml
        2·
        22 days ago

        They were already changing and installed current POTUS? Forgive me if I’m being obtuse, it’s not deliberate. I’m trying to see outside my own limited perspective.

        • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆@lemmygrad.mlOP
          12·
          22 days ago

          I mean the logic of capitalism dictates that companies have to keep making profit, and for any companies traded on the market that means showing constant quarterly growth to shareholders. This makes it very difficult to make a fundamental pivot in the business model that would be needed to switch from extracting fossil fuels to building renewables. It would require setting up supply chains, building factories, training workers, etc. At the same time their current investments into mining equipment, land, and so on lose value. All of these are astronomical expenses these companies simply can’t justify doing. Capitalist realities favor short term planning.

          • Maeve@lemmygrad.ml
            3·
            22 days ago

            I see that. I also see palentir and formerly Tesla getting massive subsidies and tax breaks for double subsidies. I also get these are people who plan on centuries, rather than decades, and there won’t be decades left, at this rate. I must be missing something somewhere, unless it’s simply spite?

            Sorry, comrade, I’m not trying to bust your chops, it’s just I’m clearly missing something.

            • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆@lemmygrad.mlOP
              10·
              22 days ago

              I think Tesla is just a straight up scam, and Palentir is doing surveillance. These aren’t really companies that are going to drive a shift away from fossil fuels. It could be that the rich are just planning to ride out the climate disaster in their bunkers too. Or that they’re oblivious. Many of them are old as well and perhaps think that the big disasters will start after they’re dead anyways.

  • bobs_guns@lemmygrad.mlEnglish
    11·
    22 days ago

    It’s so funny to say the US has far surpassed China in AI when AI is the field where literally no company has a competitive moat to speak of besides Nvidia.

    • BoxedFenders [any, comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
      13·
      22 days ago

      And Nvidia isn’t even in the AI race- they’re just the proprietor selling picks and shovels to the gold miners hoping to strike it rich. And so far, they’re the only ones profiting from it, just like the pick sellers were during the gold rush.