Comments on: Evergreen To China Shows It’s Not So Easy To Be Green In Mass. http://www.wbur.org/2009/11/06/evergreen-solar-jobs WBUR is Boston's NPR News Station, featuring NPR news and programs such as Car Talk, On Point, Here & Now, Only A Game and Radio Boston. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:31:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: State Hedges Its Bets On The Future Of Industry | Radio Boston | Programs | WBUR http://www.wbur.org/2009/11/06/evergreen-solar-jobs/comment-page-1#comment-30264 State Hedges Its Bets On The Future Of Industry | Radio Boston | Programs | WBUR Tue, 08 Feb 2011 20:12:08 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=11762#comment-30264 [...] Evergreen Solar announced it was pulling up stakes at its plant in Devons after receiving $58 million in financial incentives from the government, the state learned the hard [...] [...] Evergreen Solar announced it was pulling up stakes at its plant in Devons after receiving $58 million in financial incentives from the government, the state learned the hard [...]

]]> By: Virginia Yazbeck http://www.wbur.org/2009/11/06/evergreen-solar-jobs/comment-page-1#comment-29638 Virginia Yazbeck Fri, 14 Jan 2011 02:03:22 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=11762#comment-29638 When we are ready to buy solar panels for the roof of our soon-to-be retirement house in Maine, my husband and I will buy those made in the USA. If we can't find any (have you tried to buy a coffee maker made in the USA?) we will do without. I am building my own solar oven and my next project will be a rocket stove (google it). I am starting to really dig my heals in on this issue. As long as there is double digit unemployment here and shady bail-outs and tax deals that seem to do no one here any good, I will take great pains to read labels carefully, and if it does not specifically say "made in USA" I will not buy it. When we are ready to buy solar panels for the roof of our soon-to-be retirement house in Maine, my husband and I will buy those made in the USA. If we can’t find any (have you tried to buy a coffee maker made in the USA?) we will do without. I am building my own solar oven and my next project will be a rocket stove (google it). I am starting to really dig my heals in on this issue. As long as there is double digit unemployment here and shady bail-outs and tax deals that seem to do no one here any good, I will take great pains to read labels carefully, and if it does not specifically say “made in USA” I will not buy it.

]]> By: Charles Garland http://www.wbur.org/2009/11/06/evergreen-solar-jobs/comment-page-1#comment-17388 Charles Garland Thu, 27 May 2010 15:40:56 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=11762#comment-17388 If you look deeper into manufacturing's demise you will understand that it's not just a simple labor or tax advantage Asian economies have. This is the furthest thing from free trade. Asian are far from being "better" or "more efficient". Asian governemts closely manage their economies and industries to increase global power and their National interest. Their tools are 1.) Suppressed domestic consumption, 2.) Forced domestic savings 3.) Non tariff barriers, 4.) Domestic monopolies, 5.) Currency manipulation. One of these days the U.S. public needs to wake up and realize the world trading system is being gamed, and we are losing. I have read many books on the subject but recommend "In the Jaws of the Dragon" by Eamonn Fingleton to get the real truth the mass media does not touch for fear of ruffling China, whose market they covet. WAKE UP! If you look deeper into manufacturing’s demise you will understand that it’s not just a simple labor or tax advantage Asian economies have. This is the furthest thing from free trade. Asian are far from being “better” or “more efficient”. Asian governemts closely manage their economies and industries to increase global power and their National interest. Their tools are 1.) Suppressed domestic consumption, 2.) Forced domestic savings 3.) Non tariff barriers, 4.) Domestic monopolies, 5.) Currency manipulation.

One of these days the U.S. public needs to wake up and realize the world trading system is being gamed, and we are losing. I have read many books on the subject but recommend “In the Jaws of the Dragon” by Eamonn Fingleton to get the real truth the mass media does not touch for fear of ruffling China, whose market they covet.

WAKE UP!

]]> By: finfan http://www.wbur.org/2009/11/06/evergreen-solar-jobs/comment-page-1#comment-6833 finfan Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:39:06 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=11762#comment-6833 HA some people that have no clue should not speak. It costs almost nothing to ship from China to Mass. I am the purchasing manager for a manufacturing company here in mass (until we are focred to cease all operations here when obamacare or cap n trade pass). My boat cost (with US duty, long shore raping and such) comes out to less then 1$ a lbs. Comppared to all the social programs my company gets raped for to do bussiness here that's NOTHING HA some people that have no clue should not speak. It costs almost nothing to ship from China to Mass. I am the purchasing manager for a manufacturing company here in mass (until we are focred to cease all operations here when obamacare or cap n trade pass). My boat cost (with US duty, long shore raping and such) comes out to less then 1$ a lbs. Comppared to all the social programs my company gets raped for to do bussiness here that’s NOTHING

]]> By: Mark Henderson http://www.wbur.org/2009/11/06/evergreen-solar-jobs/comment-page-1#comment-6549 Mark Henderson Thu, 07 Jan 2010 07:11:33 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=11762#comment-6549 It comes down to just SolarWorld panels that are fully Made in USA. Sharp is just the opposite of Evergreen - the cells are made elswhere, and the panel assembly is done in USA. We installed 13.1 KW of PV in the last two years. We started installing Evergreens. However, when they announced they were switching to China, we switched to SolarWorld panels (our inverter, PVPowered, always has been and is still Made in USA). When it comes down to it - its up to Americans whether to support our fellow Americans, or save 10 cents and buy from China. It comes down to just SolarWorld panels that are fully Made in USA. Sharp is just the opposite of Evergreen – the cells are made elswhere, and the panel assembly is done in USA.
We installed 13.1 KW of PV in the last two years. We started installing Evergreens. However, when they announced they were switching to China, we switched to SolarWorld panels (our inverter, PVPowered, always has been and is still Made in USA).
When it comes down to it – its up to Americans whether to support our fellow Americans, or save 10 cents and buy from China.

]]> By: Andrew Farrell http://www.wbur.org/2009/11/06/evergreen-solar-jobs/comment-page-1#comment-6235 Andrew Farrell Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:00:47 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=11762#comment-6235 Re Mary Hunt: Shipping food (or at least food without sodium Benzoate) is expensive because it has to be kept cold and moved fast or it will rot. But moving things by ship is not nearly as energy intensive as by truck and containers of solar cells can sit by the side of a harbor in Fujian province for a while without a problem. Once we figure out what the price of carbon should be, then the only real reason to buy local is because it makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside to chat with Tom and hear him gripe about one of his goats. Re Mary Hunt:
Shipping food (or at least food without sodium Benzoate)
is expensive because it has to be kept cold and moved fast or it will rot. But moving things by ship is not nearly as energy intensive as by truck and containers of solar cells can sit by the side of a harbor in Fujian province for a while without a problem.
Once we figure out what the price of carbon should be, then the only real reason to buy local is because it makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside to chat with Tom and hear him gripe about one of his goats.

]]> By: Ron Polubinski http://www.wbur.org/2009/11/06/evergreen-solar-jobs/comment-page-1#comment-6068 Ron Polubinski Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:16:48 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=11762#comment-6068 So why is this so difficult to understand? The cost of labor in China is much less than it is here in Massachusetts. With lower build costs Evergreen's product, like every other US manufacturer's product, stays competitive on the store shelves. No amount of flag-waving is going to change that basic economic fact. So why is this so difficult to understand? The cost of labor in China is much less than it is here in Massachusetts. With lower build costs Evergreen’s product, like every other US manufacturer’s product, stays competitive on the store shelves. No amount of flag-waving is going to change that basic economic fact.

]]> By: mary Hunt http://www.wbur.org/2009/11/06/evergreen-solar-jobs/comment-page-1#comment-3040 mary Hunt Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:13:46 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=11762#comment-3040 Have the incredible transportation costs been factored in when deciding to manufacture in China? The amount of energy needed to transport the products to China, then to manufacture the panels, and ship back here are tremendous! Where is our sense of buying and producing locally? It's like buying shrimp from Thailand. Should you buy your food from a place that is so far away you would never take a vacation there? I can't believe this option can really be profitable! Have the incredible transportation costs been factored in when deciding to manufacture in China? The amount of energy needed to transport the products to China, then to manufacture the panels, and ship back here are tremendous! Where is our sense of buying and producing locally? It’s like buying shrimp from Thailand. Should you buy your food from a place that is so far away you would never take a vacation there? I can’t believe this option can really be profitable!

]]> By: dan dunn http://www.wbur.org/2009/11/06/evergreen-solar-jobs/comment-page-1#comment-3006 dan dunn Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:53:29 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=11762#comment-3006 I am an investor in Evergreen Solar. I truly believe in the need for alternative energy sources going forward. Our need for energy, with approxiamately one hundred million new people added to the planet earth annually, is insatiable. It is unfortunate that the american government is so shackled by special interest that it could not supply needed capital to a future growth industry such as Evergreen Solar represents. That fact along with high labor cost and the difficulty even acquiring private investment capital since the economic 9/11 occured, has made Evergreen's move to china an economic necessity for it's survival. I hope that they will be sucessful with this move and can maintain the jobs they have created in the united states. Governor Patrick has the correct vision of the future of energy, unfortunately energy independence, job creation, and environmental benefits are not a prime mover for to many in this nation. If we cannot continue to take the lead in new ideas for the future we, as a nation, will become a backwater location. I am an investor in Evergreen Solar. I truly believe in the need for alternative energy sources going forward. Our need for energy, with approxiamately one hundred million new people added to the planet earth annually, is insatiable. It is unfortunate that the american government is so shackled by special interest that it could not supply needed capital to a future growth industry such as Evergreen Solar represents. That fact along with high labor cost and the difficulty even acquiring private investment capital since the economic 9/11 occured, has made Evergreen’s move to china an economic necessity for it’s survival. I hope that they will be sucessful with this move and can maintain the jobs they have created in the united states. Governor Patrick has the correct vision of the future of energy, unfortunately energy independence, job creation, and environmental benefits are not a prime mover for to many in this nation. If we cannot continue to take the lead in new ideas for the future we, as a nation, will become a backwater location.

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