COVID is leading to quite some people rethinking what they want, but money talks, and as always. Lobbyists of "dirty energy" will continue to lobby the government so that they will remain relevant for as long as they could get away with, regardless of whether it makes environmental sense or not.
Avocado, for example, carries a massive environmental cost when producing them, yet they are not $60/ea. Go figure.
Bitcoin is a bit of an outlier I'd argue, but financial costs rarely reflect the environmental impact. After all, unless climate change happens literally daily (sea level rising 0.5m every day for example), polluting activities will not stop.
As for the cost, almost all "green", "clean", "responsible" stuff carries a premium, whether they truly are what they meant or not. Unless those billionaires carry their duty towards society (which is unlikely) and subsidise more environmental friendly stuff, nothing much will change. After all, who wants to give away $1b to people who will never benefit me in any shape or form?
The solution is strong armed regulation.
In China money can’t buy politics. When China lead the way on those changes, they will shake the industry and the world will follow.
But China has given other people a strong enough impression of "affordable" labour with a comprehensive system supporting mass production in a timely manner, something other countries can't easily reproduce in a year or two. China made itself into the world manufacturing center, and changing this will cost a lot. I don't know who is going to pay for it.
China is saying things loud and clear - Made in China 2025, 2035 preliminary goals, and 2049 objectives. Plus BRI.
People are not listening.
None of which listed above addresses essential needs: food, shelter, air, water. But maybe other areas not listed here could revolutionise how basic needs are being addressed.
China doesn’t have any of those problems, either does the rich world. I don’t know where your locale reference is, maybe Japan? Same thing.
Both Japan and China are pretty good at making stuff, including infrastructure. So, shelter is never a problem. I don’t know what the concern is here. Please indicate your locale of concern. Because if you say India, then the game is different. They are dealt with a different deck of cards.
Meet who's demand? Local demand? Overseas demand? Or both with a delicate balance?
Yes, American Janitors should meet American Janitorial needs. American garbage pickers should meet American recycling needs. American textile workers should meet American textile slave mill needs. Can‘t find anyone? Jack up the wages and prices.
And become self-sufficient economic power that can survive on its own in this world, risking being excluded from the world economy? Wow, this is an ambitious goal to achieve.
I would envision China’s import and export with the world to be similar to the trade relationship between Taiwan and Japan, or Germany and the US. Same with the flow of people.
You buy my Sony mDSLR, I buy your TSMC chips. You buy my denture cleaning tablets, I buy your electric toothbrush. You buy my chocolates, I buy your biscuits. You buy my sex doll, I buy your fertility products, etc.
