Whatever one may think of NY Times columnist Tom Friedman, he’s bang on the money in this piece: Aren’t We Clever?

What a contrast. In a year that’s on track to be our planet’s hottest on record, America turned “climate change” into a four-letter word that many U.S. politicians won’t even dare utter in public… the totally bogus “discrediting” of climate science has had serious implications. For starters, it helped scuttle Senate passage of the energy-climate bill needed to scale U.S.-made clean technologies, leaving America at a distinct disadvantage in the next great global industry. And that brings me to the contrast: While American Republicans were turning climate change into a wedge issue, the Chinese Communists were turning it into a work issue…while America’s Republicans turned “climate change” into a four-letter word — J-O-K-E — China’s Communists also turned it into a four-letter word — J-O-B-S.

Good for the future of the planet, perhaps, but most definitely bad for the future of the US. Why is China, normally known for horrendous pollution and dreadful working conditions, becoming a leader on this issue?

“There is really no debate about climate change in China,” said Peggy Liu, chairwoman of the Joint U.S.-China Collaboration on Clean Energy, a nonprofit group working to accelerate the greening of China. “China’s leaders are mostly engineers and scientists, so they don’t waste time questioning scientific data.” The push for green in China, she added, “is a practical discussion on health and wealth. There is no need to emphasize future consequences when people already see, eat and breathe pollution every day.”

She gets it. The GOP does not. And we all suffer for it.

Friedman wrote another column yesterday on this same theme, going into more detail about China’s green job investments: Their Moon Shot and Ours

China is doing moon shots. Yes, that’s plural. When I say “moon shots” I mean big, multibillion-dollar, 25-year-horizon, game-changing investments. China has at least four going now: one is building a network of ultramodern airports; another is building a web of high-speed trains connecting major cities; a third is in bioscience, where the Beijing Genomics Institute this year ordered 128 DNA sequencers — from America — giving China the largest number in the world in one institute to launch its own stem cell/genetic engineering industry…

(I’m pretty sure they got even more of a lead in this respect from the prior US ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.)

and, finally, Beijing just announced that it was providing $15 billion in seed money for the country’s leading auto and battery companies to create an electric car industry, starting in 20 pilot cities. In essence, China Inc. just named its dream team of 16-state-owned enterprises to move China off oil and into the next industrial growth engine: electric cars.

So while China dreams of electric cars and takes concrete steps to make them a more prevalent reality, taking similar steps is all but a political impossibility in the US:

Europe is using $7-a-gallon gasoline to stimulate the market for electric cars; China is using $5-a-gallon and naming electric cars as one of the industrial pillars for its five-year growth plan. And America? President Obama has directed stimulus money at electric cars, but he is unwilling to do the one thing that would create the sustained consumer pull required to grow an electric car industry here: raise taxes on gasoline.

Another point of concern? Innovation Shifted To China During The Downturn: U.N. Report

It’s an unfortunate fact of a downturn: declining corporate cash flows and slumping confidence usually induce firms to file fewer patents and slash spending on research and development. Apparently, China didn’t get the memo. As much of the world invested fewer resources in innovation during the global downturn, Chinese firms spent more on innovative efforts, such as R&D and patent and trademark applications, according to a report by a UN agency.

China is flexing its muscles in plenty of predatory ways as well: Hinchey criticizes China on solar trade

HIGHLAND — President Obama will be getting a letter soon from Rep. Maurice Hinchey urging him to “stand up” to China for violating international trade laws that are putting domestic solar energy companies behind a competitive eight ball. Hinchey released the text of the letter Wednesday at a news conference held at Prism Solar Technologies one of the region’s newest solar tech companies and one that has been victimized by the Chinese government’s alleged illegalities, which include blocking foreign access to green energy materials, subsidizing Chinese exports and demanding foreign investors hand over trade secrets.

At the rate things are progressing, it goes without saying that China’s on a path to completely steamroll the US when it comes to alternative energy and all the profits/jobs it brings. And the GOP is too busy pandering to its anti-science base and fossil fuel lobbyists to care. Can we question their patriotism yet? :/