China's solar revolution, Erdogan's political machine, Pentagon spending & Bamana masks

Great links, reading and images from Chartbook Newsletter by Adam Tooze

Bamana/Bambara masks Source: Sothebys

The Bamana are a large and powerful ethnic group in Mali, West Africa. Both Islamic and traditional religious views are entwined in Bamana culture. The political structure is patrilineal, meaning positions are inherited and handed down through the male side of the family. Political leaders also control the group’s religious arrangement. Adulthood is earned through the process of six major initiation societies, collectively called the jow, which are used as both a religious and educational system. Bamana males go through all six of the societies in order to be able to marry and start their role in adulthood, while Bamana females go through just one initiation society. Each of these different societies within the Bamana culture has its own unique masks.

Source: Pacific Lutheran University

Source: Last Tribes

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"Whoever is not prepared to talk about China should also remain silent about solar."

China’s solar sector is accelerating an already world-beating pace of installations as costs tumble and demand keeps rising, putting it on track to rush past last year’s record. The country installed almost three times the volume of solar capacity between January and the end of April than in the same period in 2022, and is on track to add more panels this year than the entire total in the US. China could install 154 gigawatts of solar capacity this year … raising its China forecast from a previous total of 129 gigawatts. The US had a cumulative total of 144 gigawatts installed at the start of 2022, according to BNEF data. Installations in China could surge to 200 to 300 gigawatts next year … The rise in China’s deployments means the world is on track to have a total of 5,300 gigawatts of capacity by 2030 — about the volume of solar that is required in scenarios under which global net zero targets are met. Other key sectors, including transportation and wind power remain behind track. 

Source: Bloomberg

What the Pentagon spends its procurement budget on. The numbers are old (2015-2019), but the structure is interesting i.e. relative share of aircraft/ships v. services, it, R&D etc.

Source: Vital Signs

The New Development Bank

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Losing the human climate niche

The lifetime emissions of ~3.5 global average citizens today (or ~1.2 average US citizens) expose one future person to unprecedented heat by end-of-century.

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Bambara Mask Mali Art African Traditionnel

Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party is a remarkable political phenomenon. Today it claims over 11 million members out of population of 85 million!

Source: FT

This means 20 percent of the electorate or so is organized in the party as members!

Şebnem Yardımcı-Geyikçi Hakan Yavuzyilmaz 2020

Russian energy revenues plunge (from an all time high)

Russia may have suffered a dramatic crash in energy revenues thanks to sanctions, but this comes against an all time high in April 2022. On a longer time scale revenues right now are only slightly below average.

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Vernoica Foster Bren gun Girl

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Bambara Mask Mali Art African Traditionnel