Interview with Paul Denlinger on US, China, and Energy
I had the great pleasure of taping a video interview with my friend Paul Denlinger last week, which is now hosted at StockTwits.tv. Paul is a truly international guy, who has spent his life in the US, the UK, and China, and I met him on Twitter (@pdenlinger). A trenchant observer of global politics and a student of peak oil, Paul offered some excellent insights on the relationship of the US and China, including currency issues, our collision course on energy, China’s massive infrastructure building programs, China’s aging population problem, the rare earth metals sector, and other subjects.
As always, I am grateful to StockTwits for their continued support of my work, and helping me to get video published!
Watch the video below the fold.
Chris,
I found this chat with Paul to be quite fascinating. Do more.
Something he said made me wonder. He was telling how the Chinese had gone from a roughly 80% rural, 20% urban demographic to 50/50 in something like 40 years, a monster change and that they were going hell for leather into ever increasing urban.
A lightbulb went off. Maybe that development mirroring the developed nations isn’t such a good idea for the 21st century and could possibly cause the Chinese economy to hit a hard and unexpected wall with heavy duty social consequences.
I’m convinced as resource depletion takes obvious effect that all societies will need to become more decentralized, localized and dependent on their more immediate neighbors, factories and small point of use energy sources if we are to adapt in any reasonable way. It’s the only way that we will possibly afford to maintain an approximation of our current lives, because we sure won’t be able to afford the massive projects and infrastructure made possible by the cheap energy of the past.
As you began to say over a year ago, if our timid and greedy politicians and leaders won’t act responsibly, tell us the truth, then we are going to have to do it ourselves on the individual, group, community and local levels. Maybe the tea bagger idiots are right in some ways, ways that they don’t have even the faintest notion why.
BTW, have a look at my new website where I’m trying to have some tiny good effect beyond just batting my gums: http://www.etrikebikes.com
You may need to try to open it twice if there’s a problem as it’s just cheap and dirty until we find out if there’s a reason to put more into it. Watch the main 4.5 minute video as it’s far better than most of its kind.
Comment by Ron Shook — October 23, 2010 @ 3:00 am
Chris,
Thank you for posting this interview, and for you and Paul putting it together. It’s good to put a face to Paul outside of his Twitter feed. A well informed conversation, making me want more.
David.
Comment by David Johnson — October 23, 2010 @ 9:52 pm
Thanks Chris — your work is much appreciated.
Comment by Nancy — January 5, 2011 @ 11:07 pm