It’s a good time to reflect on lessons learned in the pandemic era and look beyond it. If we let things continue as they are, widening income disparities will inevitably promote political divergence, social polarization and vulnerability.

Though DC and Beijing seem to be holding grudges, the state of California has been willing to collaborate with the Chinese government in the area of climate cooperation, and may show how U.S.-China ties can be improved outside of federal exchanges.

Rare earth minerals are well-known, but not well understood by the general public. The complex process needed to create green technology runs straight through China, exposing the U.S. to serious vulnerabilities in obtaining the necessary components for everything from smart phones to electric cars should relations ever turn cold.

As the war in Ukraine continues, the world is learning much about the global dependence on natural resources from Russia’s neighboring states - many of which are vital to “green technology.”

The global pandemic no longer holds the world hostage as it did in 2020 - yet it’s effects and deadly consequences are still present along with the lingering threat of war and economic collapse.

Climate cooperation has been touted as an area of common interest for the U.S. and China - and the scientific work being done on the ground by scientists offers much to be shared between the two nations.

Coming out of the COP26 Summit, focus was on Xi Jinping’s absence at the summit, rather than on the shortcomings of major global powers in mitigating climate change - including those whose leaders showed up.

Global leaders are meeting now in Glasgow in one of the world’s largest ever summits regarding the climate. It’s a rare opportunity for the U.S. and China to set aside their disputes and focus on a critical shared goal.

China and the United States recently issued a joint declaration on climate action, bringing hope for one of humanity’s most pressing problems and adding momentum to the global low-carbon transition.

The country’s self-sufficiency rate has stayed at around 80 percent, but as it transitions to lower carbon, issues affecting energy security are becoming more prominent. Underlying these are structural problems, starting with high dependence on overseas energy.