Top 10 Clean Tech Stories of 2010

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4. China Announces Plans to Connect Its High-Speed Rail to Europe’s

Separating this from some other China news, since it is international and is so completely huge, China announced in 2010 that it wants to connect its high-speed rail network (the largest in the world) to Europe’s high-speed rail network. And it’s already gotten to work making this happen. If this project is completed, it wil become the largest infrastructure project in the history of the world.

3. Massive Clean Energy Stimulus Bill within Extended Bush-Era Tax Cuts

After a ton of back and forth and citizen action at the end of the year, huge support for clean energy was included with the Bush era tax cut extensions. Despite the despicable tax cut extensions for the rich, the result of the deal Obama brokered was, according to one pundit, “the biggest stimulus in American history.” I was on a conference call with the head of the Solar Energy Industries Association and the American Wind Energy Association in the middle of all this and they spoke about it in basically the same way. It was a make or break for both industries and I’m sure we are all more than happy that it turned out to be a make.

2. Death of a U.S. Climate and Clean Energy Bill

Sorry, it isn’t all good news at the top here. As I wrote over on my Top 10 Global Weirding and Environmental Stories list:

Republican obstructionism, media’s horrible coverage of climate change, a lack of societal demand, and Obama’s weak approach to this topic are a few of the key reasons a climate and clean energy bill couldn’t make it through Congress in 2010, one of the most disappointing events of the year or of history, in general.

Of course, Republican opposition to a market-based method of action that party came up with years ago shows you how far we’ve come (or gone backwards) on addressing perhaps the most critical issue in human history.

1. China’s Continuous, Monumental Investment in Clean Tech

Yes, you saw that coming. China’s investment in clean tech is unprecedented, completely unparalleled, and will likely make China the global economic leader of the coming century or more. Also from my Top 10 Global Weirding and Environmental Stories list, here’s more:

From the continuous implementation of the world’s largest high-speed rail network with the fastest trains… to solar and wind energy projects that dwarf the biggest out there today, China’s investment in clean tech is absolutely astounding. At least one major country is focusing on this critical topic.

Have more ideas? Different items that should have been on the list? Share them below.

Photo Credit: vfowler


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Zachary Shahan

Zach is tryin' to help society help itself one word at a time. He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director, chief editor, and CEO. Zach is recognized globally as an electric vehicle, solar energy, and energy storage expert. He has presented about cleantech at conferences in India, the UAE, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, Canada, and Curaçao. Zach has long-term investments in Tesla [TSLA], NIO [NIO], Xpeng [XPEV], Ford [F], ChargePoint [CHPT], Amazon [AMZN], Piedmont Lithium [PLL], Lithium Americas [LAC], Albemarle Corporation [ALB], Nouveau Monde Graphite [NMGRF], Talon Metals [TLOFF], Arclight Clean Transition Corp [ACTC], and Starbucks [SBUX]. But he does not offer (explicitly or implicitly) investment advice of any sort.

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