What Comes Next for Our Planet
And for the United States, economically and geopolitically
Bald eagle upside down. Photo by Martha Ture
Politico.com has called Trump’s victory a ‘gut punch’ to US climate action. Fair enough. Trump has said he will promote fossil fuels, weaken pollution regulations and reverse Biden climate efforts.
For a man who was voted into office on the belief that he would lower prices and restore growth, this is the most self-destructive, ignorant economics he could have proposed. It’s probably more destructive of the United States than tariffs on Chinese imports. So let’s look at the economics and at the geopolitical threats facing the United States and the world.
Next week, climate diplomats meet in Azerbaijan to formulate finance plans for climate action, in the meeting named COP 29. But given Trump, climate diplomats are now ready to bypass a US role.
American cities and states are increasing their own climate actions and plan to collaborate with foreign partners; state-level leaders are set to meet with Chinese officials in Azerbaijan.
According to the 2024 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community, “China has the capability to directly compete with the United States and U.S. allies and to alter the rules-based global order in ways that support Beijing’s power and form of governance over that of the United States. China’s serious demographic and economic challenges may make it an even more aggressive and unpredictable global actor. ...China seeks to become a world S&T superpower and to use this technological superiority for economic, political, and military gain. Beijing is implementing a whole-of-government effort to boost indigenous innovation and promote self-reliance, and is prioritizing advanced power and energy, AI, biotechnology, quantum information science, and semiconductors. Beijing is trying to fast-track its S&T development through investments, intellectual property (IP) acquisition and theft, cyber operations, talent recruitment, scientific and academic collaboration, and illicit procurements.”
As of right now, China is the planet’s biggest producer of electric vehicles, batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels. They are electrifying faster than any other country in the world. They also have no oil and gas, so their incentive is plain and clear.
China’s economy is currently in a slowdown, and analysts believe that the Chinese government plans to pull the economy up by exporting clean energy technology and clean energy products.
So here we have a nation classified as a major risk to the United States, currently the largest planetary producer of electric vehicles, batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels, and a U.S. president-elect who wants to return to the production of the more expensive, less marketable fossil fuel industry.
If Trump decided to kill all U.S. electric vehicle production, the U.S. gives up the auto industry. The global auto industry is not a small creature. The Chinese automotive market has experienced remarkable growth, particularly in electric vehicles. From 2010 to 2023, sales from Chinese OEMs overseas surged to over two million units, with notable successes in markets like Russia, Australia, Brazil, and Mexico. Brands such as MG, Chery, Geely, Great Wall, and BYD are leading this charge.
Do we want to give up the car industry?
Do we want to give up the energy generation industry?
In 2023, of all new electricity generation globally, 86% of it was renewable, 14% of it was fossil fuels.
We already have the technology to manufacture renewable electricity; do we want to get beaten by a national security risk nation, and have all our children unable to compete in a global economy?
That’s pretty stupid.