People don’t understand how much fragility exists in the world and they’ll never hear any type of this information on MSM unless it involves an Orange Man. Thanks for posting and making others aware of this plight not to mention all of the people and families that have been deeply impacted by the hurricane.
This read floated across my suggestions from substack, I don't think I even knew what a silicon wafer was but what an interesting (and slightly alarming) read, thank you!
I was reading how China has taken over the solar industry from America, simply by scaling up to manage the very tight marginal returns on large upfront investment. They have a large enough market at the moment.
Query... so much of our 'tech' depends on very large scale manufacture of small units. If market demand, not only supply, takes a sudden shrinkage by reason of financial, natural or geopolitical disasters (include supply chain risks) then 'industries' can disappear perhaps faster than American solar has done? I note that some of our tech 'giants', I include Amazon retailing, seem relatively competitive at least in part because they have removed themselves from tax jurisdictions ... that is, absented their profit from providing the support needed to maintain the communities who are both 'labour' and 'market'? Of course complex arguments, but these have a way of resolving themselves in real time?
In a global connected world, choke points are everywhere lying patently waiting to be exploited. These choke points cause dislocations and dislocations are never remedy until the bones are set in place and allowed to heal.
This contradicts with the timing of activation of the Fusegate announced on the WLOS news at 6:22 am on the 27th of Sept 2024 i.e. that the Fusegate HAD activated.
Have there been any further updates on this front? From what I see, Sibelco stock dropped through October and November but has since recovered some of its losses. Does that mean the danger was averted, or that Sibelco divested, or that it was never the focus of their operations? There have to be better measures of silicon productivity.
I would be interested in a follow-up post investigating this or other bottleneck situations.
I just finished Material World. It is an incredibly well done and important book! I will be recommending it to friends and family. Thank you for a well researched, thoughtful and informative book.
People don’t understand how much fragility exists in the world and they’ll never hear any type of this information on MSM unless it involves an Orange Man. Thanks for posting and making others aware of this plight not to mention all of the people and families that have been deeply impacted by the hurricane.
This read floated across my suggestions from substack, I don't think I even knew what a silicon wafer was but what an interesting (and slightly alarming) read, thank you!
Yes lives to be saved, a community to be rescued.
Global economy, America in a bind, especially?
I was reading how China has taken over the solar industry from America, simply by scaling up to manage the very tight marginal returns on large upfront investment. They have a large enough market at the moment.
Query... so much of our 'tech' depends on very large scale manufacture of small units. If market demand, not only supply, takes a sudden shrinkage by reason of financial, natural or geopolitical disasters (include supply chain risks) then 'industries' can disappear perhaps faster than American solar has done? I note that some of our tech 'giants', I include Amazon retailing, seem relatively competitive at least in part because they have removed themselves from tax jurisdictions ... that is, absented their profit from providing the support needed to maintain the communities who are both 'labour' and 'market'? Of course complex arguments, but these have a way of resolving themselves in real time?
In a global connected world, choke points are everywhere lying patently waiting to be exploited. These choke points cause dislocations and dislocations are never remedy until the bones are set in place and allowed to heal.
2021 -Expansion to the storage capacity of North Fork Reservoir Black Mountain NC
2024 - Storm Helene
6:22 am 27th Sept 2024 - A MANDATORY EVACUATION OF THE SWANNANOA RIVER VALLEY AREA IS IN PLACE.
Due to catastrophic rain in the area, Asheville leaders say the North Fork Reservoir auxiliary spillway has been activated. The dam is performing as designed, and the volume of water flowing downstream will increase as the storm intensifies.https://wlos.com/news/local/live-updates-friday-helene-rain-wind-moves-in-north-carolina-mountains-western-asheville-buncombe-haywood-henderson-flooding%23
YET.....
July 17th 2025 article in Asheville Watch Dog 2025 claims activation of fusegate occured between 10:00-10:30am 27th. https://avlwatchdog.org/north-fork-reservoirs-toppled-fusegate-part-of-key-safety-system-on-dam-still-not-replaced/
This contradicts with the timing of activation of the Fusegate announced on the WLOS news at 6:22 am on the 27th of Sept 2024 i.e. that the Fusegate HAD activated.
This means that the fact of dam-break wave, which is the most destructive of all flood processes, was reported by witnesses (https://eu.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2024/12/01/family-mourns-caring-asheville-nursing-home-worker-after-helene/76049395007/) and the inevitable consequence of a delay in the activation of the fusegate has been surpressed.
Many questions arise from these findings, first and foremost what was the cause of the delay? https://hejost.substack.com/
Have there been any further updates on this front? From what I see, Sibelco stock dropped through October and November but has since recovered some of its losses. Does that mean the danger was averted, or that Sibelco divested, or that it was never the focus of their operations? There have to be better measures of silicon productivity.
I would be interested in a follow-up post investigating this or other bottleneck situations.
I just finished Material World. It is an incredibly well done and important book! I will be recommending it to friends and family. Thank you for a well researched, thoughtful and informative book.
just an aside but using critical materials for sparky billboards is quite wasteful.
whirlygigs and electric piles are also a great waste.