Seaver Wang
@wang-seaver.bsky.social
Director, Climate and Energy at the Breakthrough Institute. 王思維. He/him. Oceanographer turned solution seeker. Ecomodernism is the way. PhD in Earth and Ocean Sciences.
Pinned
Seaver Wang
@wang-seaver.bsky.social
· Jul 22
Taking Inventory of Critical Mineral Stockpiling
The Breakthrough Institute is an environmental research center based in Berkeley, California. Our research focuses on identifying and promoting…
thebreakthrough.org
Should a US national critical minerals reserve program act more like the National Defense Stockpile or more like the Strategic Petroleum Reserve? Major new report by my team deep dives into this question, looking at 15 minerals relevant to energy.
My thoughts🧵:
thebreakthrough.org/issues/energ...
My thoughts🧵:
thebreakthrough.org/issues/energ...
350 may not have been particularly relevant for the past several years now, but nevertheless this feels like the end of an era.
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...
E&E News: Green group 350.org suspends US operations, cuts global staff by 30 percent
The group will keep three U.S. positions open in hopes of reviving operations in the future.
subscriber.politicopro.com
November 15, 2025 at 5:54 PM
350 may not have been particularly relevant for the past several years now, but nevertheless this feels like the end of an era.
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...
We happen to have some satellite images for office decor (not my idea actually!)
We have one of the Mt Whaleback iron ore mine in the Pilbara, Western AUS. Largest single surface iron mine globally, part of 3rd largest iron ore complex by output.
Note 2km scale.
-23.36 119.66
We have one of the Mt Whaleback iron ore mine in the Pilbara, Western AUS. Largest single surface iron mine globally, part of 3rd largest iron ore complex by output.
Note 2km scale.
-23.36 119.66
November 13, 2025 at 12:17 PM
We happen to have some satellite images for office decor (not my idea actually!)
We have one of the Mt Whaleback iron ore mine in the Pilbara, Western AUS. Largest single surface iron mine globally, part of 3rd largest iron ore complex by output.
Note 2km scale.
-23.36 119.66
We have one of the Mt Whaleback iron ore mine in the Pilbara, Western AUS. Largest single surface iron mine globally, part of 3rd largest iron ore complex by output.
Note 2km scale.
-23.36 119.66
Regular reminder: we have many reasons to conserve the Amazon or ocean algae, but "the air we breathe" isn't really one of them.
Just hypothetically, burning all biomass on Earth only shifts atmospheric oxygen from 20.9%➡️20.4% and CO2 from 400➡️900ppm.
www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...
Just hypothetically, burning all biomass on Earth only shifts atmospheric oxygen from 20.9%➡️20.4% and CO2 from 400➡️900ppm.
www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...
The Amazon Is Not Earth’s Lungs
Humans could burn every living thing on the planet and still not dent its oxygen supply.
www.theatlantic.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Regular reminder: we have many reasons to conserve the Amazon or ocean algae, but "the air we breathe" isn't really one of them.
Just hypothetically, burning all biomass on Earth only shifts atmospheric oxygen from 20.9%➡️20.4% and CO2 from 400➡️900ppm.
www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...
Just hypothetically, burning all biomass on Earth only shifts atmospheric oxygen from 20.9%➡️20.4% and CO2 from 400➡️900ppm.
www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...
Reposted by Seaver Wang
Q cells is one of the few companies to be certified to the sustainability and carbon footprint EPEAT standards we developed.
us.qcells.com/blog/qcells-...
us.qcells.com/blog/qcells-...
November 9, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Q cells is one of the few companies to be certified to the sustainability and carbon footprint EPEAT standards we developed.
us.qcells.com/blog/qcells-...
us.qcells.com/blog/qcells-...
Remarkable how cavalier China's industrial ecosystem can be with large capital projects.
Weiqiao starts building a 470,000 tons/yr aluminum smelter in Binzhou, Shandong in 2014
It's built by Feb 2017
By 2020 it's being torn down
2024: a totally new workshop is using the site 🧵
Weiqiao starts building a 470,000 tons/yr aluminum smelter in Binzhou, Shandong in 2014
It's built by Feb 2017
By 2020 it's being torn down
2024: a totally new workshop is using the site 🧵
November 8, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Remarkable how cavalier China's industrial ecosystem can be with large capital projects.
Weiqiao starts building a 470,000 tons/yr aluminum smelter in Binzhou, Shandong in 2014
It's built by Feb 2017
By 2020 it's being torn down
2024: a totally new workshop is using the site 🧵
Weiqiao starts building a 470,000 tons/yr aluminum smelter in Binzhou, Shandong in 2014
It's built by Feb 2017
By 2020 it's being torn down
2024: a totally new workshop is using the site 🧵
Reposted by Seaver Wang
someone went up to sarah mcbride in front of the u.s. congress, hurled her deadname at her loudly and called her a pedophile repeatedly, posted video of the exchange to x, and it is now going wildly viral
i will not share the video
but if you’re not speaking up about this, you’re hurting yourself
i will not share the video
but if you’re not speaking up about this, you’re hurting yourself
November 7, 2025 at 3:08 AM
someone went up to sarah mcbride in front of the u.s. congress, hurled her deadname at her loudly and called her a pedophile repeatedly, posted video of the exchange to x, and it is now going wildly viral
i will not share the video
but if you’re not speaking up about this, you’re hurting yourself
i will not share the video
but if you’re not speaking up about this, you’re hurting yourself
That a detestable so-called "Christian" activist recording himself harassing Rep Sarah McBride in public has gone so grotesquely viral is unnatural. I feel we're being botted + pushed towards hate.
Simultaneously such identity-based persecution is clearly real, intensifying and terrifying.
Simultaneously such identity-based persecution is clearly real, intensifying and terrifying.
November 7, 2025 at 3:36 AM
That a detestable so-called "Christian" activist recording himself harassing Rep Sarah McBride in public has gone so grotesquely viral is unnatural. I feel we're being botted + pushed towards hate.
Simultaneously such identity-based persecution is clearly real, intensifying and terrifying.
Simultaneously such identity-based persecution is clearly real, intensifying and terrifying.
Our new report explores potential future US + global nuclear fuel supply chain needs, from uranium enrichment to mining.
If the US really wants to expand nuclear to 400GW nationwide by 2050, the US must secure enrichment ~5x-10x of current domestic capacity.🧵
thebreakthrough.org/issues/energ...
If the US really wants to expand nuclear to 400GW nationwide by 2050, the US must secure enrichment ~5x-10x of current domestic capacity.🧵
thebreakthrough.org/issues/energ...
Abundant Fuel for Abundant Reactors
thebreakthrough.org
November 6, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Our new report explores potential future US + global nuclear fuel supply chain needs, from uranium enrichment to mining.
If the US really wants to expand nuclear to 400GW nationwide by 2050, the US must secure enrichment ~5x-10x of current domestic capacity.🧵
thebreakthrough.org/issues/energ...
If the US really wants to expand nuclear to 400GW nationwide by 2050, the US must secure enrichment ~5x-10x of current domestic capacity.🧵
thebreakthrough.org/issues/energ...
“Enviro groups are gravely mistaken if they think they can promote better mining/refining/manufacturing of renewables + EVs while ignoring the elephant in the room. Globally many unethical supply chains leverage China as a chief refuge from accountability”
www.breakthroughjournal.org/p/six-things...
www.breakthroughjournal.org/p/six-things...
Six Things the Climate Movement Gets Wrong About China
The China conversation we all keep dodging
www.breakthroughjournal.org
November 5, 2025 at 5:57 PM
“Enviro groups are gravely mistaken if they think they can promote better mining/refining/manufacturing of renewables + EVs while ignoring the elephant in the room. Globally many unethical supply chains leverage China as a chief refuge from accountability”
www.breakthroughjournal.org/p/six-things...
www.breakthroughjournal.org/p/six-things...
No reason a society shouldn’t have both! And I worry that we risk ending up with neither… but at the end of the day if you could only pick one, some things are worth more than 50,000 km of high-speed railway.
November 4, 2025 at 10:38 PM
No reason a society shouldn’t have both! And I worry that we risk ending up with neither… but at the end of the day if you could only pick one, some things are worth more than 50,000 km of high-speed railway.
Grand plan to end opposition to transmission projects:
Romanticize the heck out of transmission. Loving shots of transmission in backdrop/enviro shots of every movie, TV show + commercial until people subliminally get warm fuzzy feelings every time they see high-voltage pylons.
Romanticize the heck out of transmission. Loving shots of transmission in backdrop/enviro shots of every movie, TV show + commercial until people subliminally get warm fuzzy feelings every time they see high-voltage pylons.
November 2, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Grand plan to end opposition to transmission projects:
Romanticize the heck out of transmission. Loving shots of transmission in backdrop/enviro shots of every movie, TV show + commercial until people subliminally get warm fuzzy feelings every time they see high-voltage pylons.
Romanticize the heck out of transmission. Loving shots of transmission in backdrop/enviro shots of every movie, TV show + commercial until people subliminally get warm fuzzy feelings every time they see high-voltage pylons.
Reposted by Seaver Wang
People want a fast energy transition but also talk about one that's fair + just. The prevailing selective discourse re: China risks a future with neither. New by me: 🧵
www.breakthroughjournal.org/p/six-things...
www.breakthroughjournal.org/p/six-things...
Six Things the Climate Movement Gets Wrong About China
The China conversation we all keep dodging
www.breakthroughjournal.org
October 31, 2025 at 3:51 PM
People want a fast energy transition but also talk about one that's fair + just. The prevailing selective discourse re: China risks a future with neither. New by me: 🧵
www.breakthroughjournal.org/p/six-things...
www.breakthroughjournal.org/p/six-things...
People want a fast energy transition but also talk about one that's fair + just. The prevailing selective discourse re: China risks a future with neither. New by me: 🧵
www.breakthroughjournal.org/p/six-things...
www.breakthroughjournal.org/p/six-things...
Six Things the Climate Movement Gets Wrong About China
The China conversation we all keep dodging
www.breakthroughjournal.org
October 31, 2025 at 3:51 PM
People want a fast energy transition but also talk about one that's fair + just. The prevailing selective discourse re: China risks a future with neither. New by me: 🧵
www.breakthroughjournal.org/p/six-things...
www.breakthroughjournal.org/p/six-things...
I do personally believe workers at mines, metallurgical plants, and electric utilities should possess union membership.
- difficult working conditions
- unique workplace hazards
- limited alternative local employers offering same work
- value of specialized skills/training
- difficult working conditions
- unique workplace hazards
- limited alternative local employers offering same work
- value of specialized skills/training
October 29, 2025 at 1:40 PM
I do personally believe workers at mines, metallurgical plants, and electric utilities should possess union membership.
- difficult working conditions
- unique workplace hazards
- limited alternative local employers offering same work
- value of specialized skills/training
- difficult working conditions
- unique workplace hazards
- limited alternative local employers offering same work
- value of specialized skills/training
Great @bradplumer.bsky.social @harrystevens.bsky.social piece on China's nuclear ambition. I'm biased but I think a good satellite comparison is worth 1000 words.
Incidentally, the score for aluminum smelters built since 1990 would be ~50-60 for China, 0 for the US.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Incidentally, the score for aluminum smelters built since 1990 would be ~50-60 for China, 0 for the US.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
How China Raced Ahead of the U.S. on Nuclear Power (Gift Article)
The United States was once the undisputed leader in atomic energy. Now it is trying to catch up.
www.nytimes.com
October 24, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Great @bradplumer.bsky.social @harrystevens.bsky.social piece on China's nuclear ambition. I'm biased but I think a good satellite comparison is worth 1000 words.
Incidentally, the score for aluminum smelters built since 1990 would be ~50-60 for China, 0 for the US.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Incidentally, the score for aluminum smelters built since 1990 would be ~50-60 for China, 0 for the US.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Supremely unhelpful.
"These projects had missed milestones" smacks of an excuse and a misguided hope for unicorns. Rather, US supply chain policy needs commitment + grit to do hard things--like start up synthetic graphite production (e.g. Anovion)!
www.utilitydive.com/news/departm...
"These projects had missed milestones" smacks of an excuse and a misguided hope for unicorns. Rather, US supply chain policy needs commitment + grit to do hard things--like start up synthetic graphite production (e.g. Anovion)!
www.utilitydive.com/news/departm...
DOE cancels $700 million in battery and manufacturing project grants
A DOE spokesperson said the projects had missed milestones and would not provide a positive return on investment of taxpayer dollars.
www.utilitydive.com
October 21, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Supremely unhelpful.
"These projects had missed milestones" smacks of an excuse and a misguided hope for unicorns. Rather, US supply chain policy needs commitment + grit to do hard things--like start up synthetic graphite production (e.g. Anovion)!
www.utilitydive.com/news/departm...
"These projects had missed milestones" smacks of an excuse and a misguided hope for unicorns. Rather, US supply chain policy needs commitment + grit to do hard things--like start up synthetic graphite production (e.g. Anovion)!
www.utilitydive.com/news/departm...
Catching up on reading. I recommend
@kyleichan.bsky.social's fresh piece on this new phase of Chinese export controls + its historical policy origins.
Some misc. thoughts on popular comparisons to the 2010 China-Japan Senkaku Islands rare earths episode: 🧵
www.high-capacity.com/p/chinas-eme...
@kyleichan.bsky.social's fresh piece on this new phase of Chinese export controls + its historical policy origins.
Some misc. thoughts on popular comparisons to the 2010 China-Japan Senkaku Islands rare earths episode: 🧵
www.high-capacity.com/p/chinas-eme...
China's emerging export control regime
China is trying to build a "unified export control system" that's about much more than just leverage in the latest negotiations with the US
www.high-capacity.com
October 21, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Catching up on reading. I recommend
@kyleichan.bsky.social's fresh piece on this new phase of Chinese export controls + its historical policy origins.
Some misc. thoughts on popular comparisons to the 2010 China-Japan Senkaku Islands rare earths episode: 🧵
www.high-capacity.com/p/chinas-eme...
@kyleichan.bsky.social's fresh piece on this new phase of Chinese export controls + its historical policy origins.
Some misc. thoughts on popular comparisons to the 2010 China-Japan Senkaku Islands rare earths episode: 🧵
www.high-capacity.com/p/chinas-eme...
New piece by colleague @cookpj.bsky.social argues that while most folks jump to negative enviro + safety assumptions about mining, we should recognize the major progress U.S. mining has achieved since the 1970s on safety, pollution control + oversight.
www.breakthroughjournal.org/p/mining-is-...
www.breakthroughjournal.org/p/mining-is-...
Mining Is Not What it Used to Be
U.S. mining doesn’t need fixing to help the world decarbonize
www.breakthroughjournal.org
October 20, 2025 at 4:55 PM
New piece by colleague @cookpj.bsky.social argues that while most folks jump to negative enviro + safety assumptions about mining, we should recognize the major progress U.S. mining has achieved since the 1970s on safety, pollution control + oversight.
www.breakthroughjournal.org/p/mining-is-...
www.breakthroughjournal.org/p/mining-is-...
"It just keeps spreading, doesn't it?"
"It's been hard to contain..."
Gen Z straw hat pirates spotted at the No Kings rally in D.C. today.
"It's been hard to contain..."
Gen Z straw hat pirates spotted at the No Kings rally in D.C. today.
October 18, 2025 at 7:21 PM
"It just keeps spreading, doesn't it?"
"It's been hard to contain..."
Gen Z straw hat pirates spotted at the No Kings rally in D.C. today.
"It's been hard to contain..."
Gen Z straw hat pirates spotted at the No Kings rally in D.C. today.
Possibly under-appreciated context to Chinese rare earth export controls: mining/trade data are opaque, but researchers + NGOs still think Myanmar heavy rare earth ore mining activity has slowed following the Kachin state's 2024 takeover of mining areas.
news.mongabay.com/2025/09/sate...
news.mongabay.com/2025/09/sate...
Satellite data show burst of deforestation in Myanmar rare earth mining hotspots
Myanmar’s Kachin state, near the border with China, is a global hub for rare earth minerals. But the dearth of regulations over mining these resources has come at a steep cost to the area’s subtropica...
news.mongabay.com
October 17, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Possibly under-appreciated context to Chinese rare earth export controls: mining/trade data are opaque, but researchers + NGOs still think Myanmar heavy rare earth ore mining activity has slowed following the Kachin state's 2024 takeover of mining areas.
news.mongabay.com/2025/09/sate...
news.mongabay.com/2025/09/sate...
Forget export controls. A big threat to U.S. critical minerals Trump faces is self-inflicted--his culture war on university funding + federal science.
Funding cuts especially hurt hard sciences/engineering, throttling a future workforce needed for scaleup over next 5-10 yrs.
Funding cuts especially hurt hard sciences/engineering, throttling a future workforce needed for scaleup over next 5-10 yrs.
October 16, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Forget export controls. A big threat to U.S. critical minerals Trump faces is self-inflicted--his culture war on university funding + federal science.
Funding cuts especially hurt hard sciences/engineering, throttling a future workforce needed for scaleup over next 5-10 yrs.
Funding cuts especially hurt hard sciences/engineering, throttling a future workforce needed for scaleup over next 5-10 yrs.
I wrote on why it's key for continued clean energy innovation that companies shift their clean electricity purchasing claims to match the hours + regions they're consuming power in.
Easy, loose accounting just picks low-hanging fruit till they're gone.
thebreakthrough.org/issues/energ...
Easy, loose accounting just picks low-hanging fruit till they're gone.
thebreakthrough.org/issues/energ...
It’s Time to Raise the Bar for Corporate Clean Energy Buying
thebreakthrough.org
October 15, 2025 at 3:11 PM
I wrote on why it's key for continued clean energy innovation that companies shift their clean electricity purchasing claims to match the hours + regions they're consuming power in.
Easy, loose accounting just picks low-hanging fruit till they're gone.
thebreakthrough.org/issues/energ...
Easy, loose accounting just picks low-hanging fruit till they're gone.
thebreakthrough.org/issues/energ...
"The true administration of justice is the firmest pillar of good government."
Indeed.
(In New York this weekend for a cousin's wedding)
Indeed.
(In New York this weekend for a cousin's wedding)
October 10, 2025 at 4:06 PM
"The true administration of justice is the firmest pillar of good government."
Indeed.
(In New York this weekend for a cousin's wedding)
Indeed.
(In New York this weekend for a cousin's wedding)
Reposted by Seaver Wang
New piece from me weighs in on the important brewing debate over corporate Scope 2 clean electricity crediting (GHGP2).
I argue that it’s obviously better for clean energy innovation to require companies to buy hourly and regionally-matched clean power to make green claims. 🧵
I argue that it’s obviously better for clean energy innovation to require companies to buy hourly and regionally-matched clean power to make green claims. 🧵
October 8, 2025 at 3:15 PM
New piece from me weighs in on the important brewing debate over corporate Scope 2 clean electricity crediting (GHGP2).
I argue that it’s obviously better for clean energy innovation to require companies to buy hourly and regionally-matched clean power to make green claims. 🧵
I argue that it’s obviously better for clean energy innovation to require companies to buy hourly and regionally-matched clean power to make green claims. 🧵
Shower thought: a special federally-supported engineering-procurement-construction task force for transmission line reconductoring? Traveling the country reconductoring lines, getting really good at it, bringing the cost down, and disseminating that knowledge to practitioners.
October 8, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Shower thought: a special federally-supported engineering-procurement-construction task force for transmission line reconductoring? Traveling the country reconductoring lines, getting really good at it, bringing the cost down, and disseminating that knowledge to practitioners.