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Google to develop geothermal energy in ChinaPosted by Jeremy Goldkorn on Thursday, April 1, 2010 at 6:32 AM
From the time of Google's January announcement about their "new approach" to China until Tuesday's service disruption apparently caused by the Great FireWall, the press has been left guessing about both Google and the Chinese government's intentions and the state of their presumed negotiations. But thanks to a source at Ha'erbin Institute of Technology, Danwei can reveal what Google now plans to do with their Beijing and Shanghai offices, and the engineering talent that they have spent the last four years recruiting and developing: the the tech giant plans to stop or radically cut funding for all Internet, advertising and mobile businesses in China, and turn their R&D teams exclusively over to Google's clean energy development projects. Our source at Ha'erbin Institute of Technology insisted on anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the news, but revealed that Google's new direction was satisfactory to both the Chinese government and Google itself. "This allows Google to feel they are contributing to bettering the lives of the Chinese people, while removing itself from the information business, an industry that the Chinese government will not give up controlling," the source said. A former researcher at Ha'erbin Institute of Technology, Professor Wang Badan, now of the Peking Information and Electronics Center of Engineering, told Danwei that his former employer in the northeastern city of Ha'erbin had been working on geo-thermal power technology for many years. Geo-thermal power refers to the use of energy from the earth's molten core to produce electricity. Google has already invested substantial sums of money in research on such technology in the United States. Professor Wang commented that China's many earthquake zones were highly suitable testing areas for geothermal technology. He also confirmed our source's sense of optimism about Google's new deal: "This deal offers Google and the Chinese government a face-saving way for both parties to look good. Even better, the technology has the potential to completely alter China's future by radically reducing our carbon footprint to almost nothing." Links and Sources
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Comments on Google to develop geothermal energy in China
The Ha'erbin Inst of Tech bit is a nice touch. Happy April 1 to you, too.
I need to meet this Professor Wang Badan
Yes, my source in media also confirmed this news. The new spokeswoman of China EPA, Paris Hilton,spoke to Shutup.com chief gossip officer that Google will "drill the hell out of China."
really? wang badan? this wasn't going to last long. but a nice thought.
Salute to Prof. 王八蛋!LOL
I would like to meet this prof. Wangbadan. Sounds like a really interesting person.
This is an obvious new move by Google to get cosy with the Chinese government and go shamelessly geothermal.
The implications in development of WMDs are well known in this kind of research. I predicted a long time ago that Google was becoming evil - it is a shame how they used all that censorhip excuse to distract the media and cover up the dirty tricks of the powerful Geothermal lobby.
Excellent, good for google
Happy fools day...
"Wang Badan"......can we be a bit more subtle even in an Apri 1 story?
Jeremy, perhaps your tremendous psychological resilience is finally failing you under the strains of all this censorship sh-t. My condolences.
Man, I hate April Fools' day. Not a good day for fools.
knock, knock
whose there?
“有一个五毛党“
F**K off!
and this NATIONAL holiday too!
Technically this story should have been reporting that Topeka was going to be developing geothermal in China.
王七蛋的弟弟,王九蛋的哥哥!
Geothermal energy can drastically reduce energy across the board for an entire nation. Allowing funds to be allocated to other areas in need of attention. Great post. Thanks.