A Chinese solar panel company has apologized for a devastating toxic spill at one of its manufacturing plants in August and vowed to clean up the pollution after four days of protests outside its headquarters.

According to reports, solid waste contaminated with (more…)

Biofuels remain the orphan child of western energy interests – like adopting children, everyone agrees that it’s a good idea, but not many want an alien rugrat in the house.

Now China, arguably the world’s most influential and dynamic economy, is beginning to eye renewables as (more…)

The bankruptcies of three major U.S. solar companies in recent weeks have propelled China into a dominant position in the global market for solar panel production, with the Chinese now commanding nearly three-fifths of the world’s production capacity.

While many U.S., Japanese, and European solar (more…)

As the CSP industry expands across the globe, so too are the incentive mechanisms on offer by countries grabbing a slice of the action. The recently published CSP Today feed-in tariff guide provides information regarding regulators, types of incentive and the tariffs offered by the USA, Spain, South Africa, India, (more…)

China’s omnivorous global appetite for energy resources is well known.

While biofuel production is one of the rising energy stars of the 21st century, it is unlikely to become a significant source for China in the near future, as the country’s arable land is devoted first and foremost to feeding the country’s (more…)

A show of hands – who loved their high school chemistry class? Do you still remember the elements in the periodic table? Quick – what’s the symbol for Iron? How about Hydrogen?

OK. Those are easy: Fe and H.

What about Prometheum? or Ytterbium? (more…)

Seeking to secure reliable supplies of rare earths for the country’s growing industrial demand, South Korea is negotiating to open concessions in South African mines.

South Korea’s Ministry of Knowledge Economy said that the nation is seeking a formal agreement to (more…)

Although China may be a recent arrival in the “Big Power Club,” it is a very old, and wise culture. They have developed their nation to this point on the profound understanding that the average voter in the western world is basically a moron whose main life interest is in next week’s pay-packet. Why should you let this (more…)

First, the bad news – China’s constrained rare earth supplies will be an “irreversible trend” and prices will remain at high levels, according to Zhang Zhong, general manager of Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Rare-Earth Hi-Tech Co.

Zhang should know, as his concern is China’s (more…)

A July Greenpeace report shows that the toxic chemicals in Chinese water systems aren’t always the fault of Chinese officials and factory managers (who sometimes face death if convicted of negligence).

Instead, they are the result of Western firms working in China and, intentionally or inadvertently, driving (more…)