Topic: Clean Tech

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen advocated for the implementation of a "Digital Euro" to simplify business and reduce bureaucratic costs. She announced several "omnibus" proposals aimed at boosting public and private investment in clean technology and military mobility. The hosts characterize these moves as a desperate attempt to maintain control over a failing European economy.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a 2 trillion euro budget aimed at increasing EU competitiveness and security through investments in "clean tech" and the "bioeconomy." The plan, which includes a "competitiveness fund" of 410 billion euros, has faced strong opposition from Germany and the Netherlands over its size and reliance on increased VAT and tobacco taxes. Critics describe the budget's focus on "circularity" and "decarbonization" as a McKinsey-driven boondoggle that redistributes wealth to large corporations.

A San Francisco-based company, Epic Clean Tech, has produced a beer called "Epic One Water Brew" using recycled wastewater from a luxury high-rise. The project is intended to showcase the potential for water reuse in urban environments. The hosts react with humor and skepticism to the concept of "toilet beer."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited the U.S. and Canada to negotiate terms of the Inflation Reduction Act, which initially favored U.S.-made green technology. A new "transparency dialogue" was established to coordinate incentives for the "clean tech" industry, specifically focusing on hydrogen and electric vehicles. The deal allows critical raw materials sourced in the EU to access the American market under similar terms as domestic materials, potentially involving Canadian resources as a pass-through.

Venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins is cited as an example of the failure of "clean tech" investments, having lost significant value by pivoting away from pure technology. The hosts predict that current green energy policies will eventually be reversed by future administrations. They compare the potential presidency of Elizabeth Warren to the economic era of Jimmy Carter.

New York Times columnist Tom Friedman expressed hope that Vladimir Putin would cut off gas to Europe to trigger a clean-tech revolution similar to the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo. One host counters this by recounting the negative economic impacts of the 1970s energy crisis, arguing it hurt the U.S. auto industry rather than launching a sustainable solar industry.