No. 157: Clean-Tech Colonialism

We've talked in the past about how China's dominance in the clean technology markets has positioned it as a leader in the coming decades, but this week we're diving into just how profound their reach has become: near universal economic impact on the United Nations member states, and increasing investment in developing nations in particular.

Exporting influence through economic and social impact has historically been one of the strengths of the United States – what happens to the world order when the infrastructure on which the world runs is built by a geopolitical peer?

I'm sharing a job this week that also sits at the center of public policy but aims to improve the way our cities are run. This is a great opportunity for those who like to travel and want to work at the local level. I would even argue this is more tangible impact on our day to day lives than work at the national level. Off we go!

~ Greg

What we're reading

China's dominance in renewable technology exports presents a complex challenge for developing nations seeking clean energy while preserving their independence. (NYT)

• Laos is now home to the largest onshore wind farm in Southeast Asia due to Chinese investment in clean energy technology, a template it has followed in countries around the world.
  • China's rapid exports of solar energy, electric vehicles, and batteries have near universal reach at this point: exports reached 191 of 192 United Nations member states last year, with developing nations like Laos driving 70% of export growth over the past four years.
  • This creates a catch-22 scenario for countries like Laos, where infrastructure projects meant to boost the economy have trapped them in $10 billion of debt, half of which is owed to China.
  • In fact, the energy generated by the Monsoon Wind Power Project is being sold to Vietnam – it doesn't directly benefit the citizens of Laos.
• The geopolitical implications extend far beyond individual projects, as America's withdrawal from clean energy leaves China to fill the vacuum. In effect, you have two competing versions of the future: China is betting on clean energy, and the United States is betting on traditional energy sources like fossil fuels.
  • This generally aligns with the resources available in each country – the United States is not a key producer of the kinds of minerals used in clean energy technology. We've talked before about how the government has been making investments in critical minerals – the company MP Materials to be exact – but the infrastructure is nascent.
• Crucially, China's export success doesn't depend on American consumers – only 4% of wind, solar, and EV exports reach the U.S. market.
• Historically, we have exported geopolitical influence through international investment in areas like healthcare and food security. That funding has been greatly reduced under the Trump administration, and I see this clean energy push as another example where we could have been leaders had we invested in ourselves and our allies.
• Influence, economic growth, and climate impact are the ingredients for consolidation of power in the coming years. We are seeing a shift from a unipolar world order – that would be the United States, a dominant force after World War II – to a multipolar one.
  • I don't think it's impossible that China's investments in the infrastructure on which the world runs will position it to lead the world order in the coming years, and that head start will take time to overcome.

Job of the week

Data-driven decision making shouldn't be revolutionary, but in some city governments, it still is. Results for America is working to change that through their What Works Cities initiative, and they're looking for a Manager, New Cities to join their mission.

We talked about effective altruism earlier this month, and I see shades of that philosophy here as well. The goal is to use data to drive more meaningful improvements in citizens' quality of life. Maybe it's the engineer in me, but a bit more rigor applied to problem solving sounds like table stakes if we're going to make the most difference.

The role is remote-friendly, and if you enjoy traveling, don't overlook this opportunity. Part of the job includes site visits to collaborate with city leaders on their action plans.

Community roundup

• A clinic is taking a unique approach to get men to go to the doctor: appealing to their stereotypical interests while they receive care. (NYT)
  • A description of the Cutler Center for Men reads like a medical version of Sport Clips: TVs playing football games, "man cave" staples like foosball and pool tables, and arcade games.
  • After the pandemic, the life expectancy gap between men and women grew to 5.8 years, the highest level in nearly 30 years. Experts point to infrequent primary care as one of the reasons for the difference in life expectancy.
  • It sounds a bit silly, but as someone who hasn't gone to the doctor in years – shame on me, I know – I kind of get the point of doing everything we can to get people to invest in their heath.
• A startup called The New Norm is turning Solo cups and other plastic waste into textiles, part of a growing business-to-business trend for fashion companies wanting to source sustainable materials as part of their supply chains. (The Guardian)
  • At first, the material felt too much like what it came from – kind of like you're wearing plastic cups.
  • That's starting to change as the technology improves: Backed by grants from Garnier and the company behind Hefty, The New Norm has been working with the Textile Technology Center and Polymers Center in North Carolina to improve the recycling process to make a viable material. It's now used to sell sweaters and beanies online.
• Speaking of recycling, there's a major push to process old turbine blades from wind turbines so they don't end up in landfills. Europe is expected to generate around 30,000 tonnes – that's metric, or 1,000 kilograms – of blade waste by 2030, so this is a big problem to address. (The Guardian)
  • Companies on both ends of the lifecycle are making changes: the blade manufacturers are redesigning blades to make them easier to recycle, and other companies are finding ways to break down composites like carbon fiber to support reuse in the aerospace and construction industries.
  • In addition to recycling materials, companies are finding new ways to use the blades without breaking them down. You may have seen sections used as bus shelters, for example.
• Lastly, what if you could take plastic waste and turn it into carbon capture material? (Anthropocene)
  • That's what chemists at the University of Copenhagen and Aarhus University are researching, and they recently published a paper on their work in Science Advances.
  • The resulting pellets can be used in industrial exhaust applications to capture carbon before it is released into the atmosphere. One benefit to the approach in this paper is that it can use existing polymer-processing infrastructure. Sometimes research shows that something is possible but not scaleable – this shows promise, however.

Civic corner

• Cities are trying to combat urban heat islands by planting more trees and carving out "microforests" – highly dense collections of native plants whose composition helps accelerate their growth. (Inside Climate News)
  • Multiple states have implemented microforests already, but the U.S. has been slow to adopt the concept. In Japan, where botanist Akira Miyawaki first developed the idea, there are now more than 1,000 microforests.
• Texas already has a prohibition on mail-order abortion medication, but Governor Greg Abbott signed an additional law this week that gives citizens the ability to sue other individuals and organizations for bringing the medication into Texas. (Reuters)
  • Some of those mail-order medications are coming from blue states, many of which have implemented their own "shield laws" to protect doctors from prosecution. It appears to me that these two types of laws are at odds with each other and seem destined for the Supreme Court in the future.
• I've discussed this multiple times in the past few weeks, which goes to show how quickly the regulatory environment around renewable energy is changing: Revolution Wind, the multi-billion dollar wind project off the course of Rhode Island is back on track following a judge's preliminary injunction that construction could resume. (NYT)
  • This is the project that was 80% complete and on track to power some 350,000 homes in the Northeast when it went online next year.
  • The judge's ruling is not likely to be the end of the story. I expect the government to appeal, and I'm hoping that construction can complete before any further bureaucracy ties up what would otherwise be a game changer on the east coast.
• More good news: the High Seas Treaty was ratified by Morocco, making it the 60th country to do so and clearing the threshold required for the treaty to go into effect. (NYT)
  • The treaty creates conservation zones in international waters at a time when those waters are being eyed for deep sea mining opportunities.
  • I wrote in April about how companies are working on approval to collect nodules from the ocean floor that contain minerals used in renewable energy technology, putting conservation at odds with climate action depending on the impacts to ecosystems.
  • Since then, the Trump Administration has cleared the path for The Metals Company to begin offshore mining, at odds with the Law of the Seas treaty.
  • Currently, the goal of the High Seas Treaty is to protect 30% of the world's oceans. With a goal like that, I think that leaves a lot of room for mining companies to work around the treaty unless governments work to protect the areas most suited for mining.

Hot job opportunities

• Customer Success Associate – Voltus – Remote
• Senior Marketing Analyst – ParentSquare – Remote
• Director, Brand and Content Strategy – Noodle – Remote
• Frontend Engineer – Elicit – Remote
• Sales Manager – Brewer Science – Remote (Oregon or Southwest U.S.)
• Product Manager, Research Products – Blue Rose Research – Remote
• Creative Director – Revelyst – Irvine, CA
• Vice President of Sales – Counter Culture Coffee – Durham, NC
• Client Support Associate Consultant – Grow Progress – Remote
• Senior Product Designer (Hybrid) – Homeward Health – San Mateo, CA

Resource of the week

One of my favorite places to go looking for climate jobs is Terra.do. They're especially good at scraping job opportunities from companies we wouldn't normally associate with social impact and surfacing their social impact roles. Think ESG, sustainability, climate policy, conservation, environmental engineering, and the like.

I've shared some smaller social impact job boards in the past, but this is a big one with global coverage. As of this writing, they had nearly 90,000 climate job opportunities on the website. If you are interested in climate – even if you don't have a climate background – you will probably find a role that fits your experience. Why not check it out?

Test your knowledge

It's easy to forget how impactful agricultural advancements have been on our lives – like making crops more resilient or increasing yields – so everyone can put food on the table.

Last week, I asked you about a Nobel Prize winner whose work helped reduce famine around the world. His name was Norman Borlaug, and his work increasing wheat yields in Mexico, Pakistan, and India had a significant impact on food insecurity.

There's a decent chance you may have participated in the answer to this week's trivia question:

What new nationwide event championed renewable energy this past Sunday in the spirit of the original Earth Day?

Email me your guess, and I'll send one lucky winner a couple of One Work stickers!

I got a big burst of nostalgia this weekend when I went to Next Level in Hillsboro, which is a bit west of Portland, OR for those who are unfamiliar. It's a pinball museum, but it also had a remarkable number of arcade games including some from my youth that I had completely forgotten about. Q*bert anyone?