State Subsidization and its Effects on Global Capitalism: OECD Report Shows That Post-COVID Subsidization Increases Have Remained, China is the King of Subsidization, and Solar and Semiconductors are the Most Subsidized Industries

      State subsidization is common around the world in capitalist countries as well as those considered to be more socialist, like China. It is one reason why our economy is really a mixed economy and not a fully free market capitalist one. Some subsidization is considered necessary to keep countries productive and profitable, as well as competitive with heavily subsidized countries like China. It is not necessarily a bad thing or a good thing, but it can and does distort markets. We subsidize renewable energy to decrease overall carbon emissions and pollution. Nationalized companies are common. That is a form of what is called state capitalism.

     State subsidization increased in many countries during the COVID pandemic and subsequent geopolitical events that have affected supply chains. In the U.S., we have increased subsidization for critical minerals and semiconductors. We want to reduce our dependence on foreign suppliers, especially China, which controls critical minerals mining, processing, and manufacturing. Subsidization also acts to protect domestic manufacturers from foreign competition.

     Alex Kimani, in an article for OilPrice.com, notes some info from a new OECD report on subsidization:

“A landmark report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has revealed that global state subsidies have surged to a total of $108 billion, good for an average of 1.3% of company revenues across 15 key industrial sectors and the highest level since the 2008-2009 financial crisis.”

     He notes that China is the king of state subsidization and thus also of market distortion:

“According to the OECD, Chinese firms in strategic sectors received between three and eight times more state support than competitors in OECD countries over the past 20 years, giving Chinese firms a huge leg up in highly competitive markets. Indeed, OECD estimates that this massive government aid--spanning direct grants and below-market loans-- drove roughly 60% of Chinese companies' global market share gains over the past two decades. Chinese companies receive subsidies equivalent to roughly 2.5% of their revenue, compared to just 0.3% seen by firms in peer nations like Japan and South Korea.”

     Subsidies come in the form of government grants, income tax concessions, and below-market borrowings.

     China is especially subsidizing semiconductor chip manufacturing at a high rate, which has enabled it to increase exports by 83.7%. They also heavily subsidize solar panel manufacture.

“State-backed Chinese subsidies averaged nearly 3.2% of annual firm revenues, enabling manufacturers to heavily outinvest competitors and secure over 80% control of the entire photovoltaic supply chain.”

     The OECD report notes that this is a key reason the price of solar panels has dropped by 90% over the past decade and a half, as the panels are sold near the breakeven point. Kimani writes:

“But while it may give states more power to wield, the OECD warns that these ongoing, large-scale subsidies are fueling global industrial overcapacity, artificially depressing international prices and undercutting firms that are actually better and more innovative.”

     He notes that China is phasing out some of its solar panel manufacturing subsidies due to declining profitability as a result of oversupply. He calls China’s solar super-subsidization ‘clean energy hegemony.’ He writes that Western nations are responding to this hegemony by enacting tariffs, not just the U.S., but the EU as well. As he notes below, market distortion is being met not only with tariffs but also by increasing our own subsidies to better compete.

“The uncomfortable reality is that Western economies assumed for decades that private capital, comparative advantage, and open markets would determine the industrial winner. However, China has spent that time building national champions with patient state capital, cheap financing, protected domestic markets, and long-term strategic planning. Tariffs can slow the flow of Chinese products across borders, but little else. The West’s biggest economies now face the choice of whether to try to compete with China on similar terms or whether there is still faith in a private market free-for-all to operate in the national interest.”

     The OECD report says the key to understanding the effects of subsidization on markets is to acquire accurate data, which they can use to derive numbers such as those below. Subsidization has enabled China to gain the most in market share, which does not equate to higher productivity or profitability.

“Around 22% of global market share gains by firms that expanded over the past two decades can be linked to the subsidies they received, rising to 60% for Chinese firms. However, while subsidies increased firms’ market shares, they did not lead to significant gains in productivity or profitability.”

“Large and persistent industrial subsidies can distort global markets, creating unfair competitive advantages and contributing to excess supply capacity,” OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said. “To monitor and analyse how subsidies are shaping global markets, reliable data on industrial subsidies is key. The OECD MAGIC database helps countries build a shared understanding of the challenges, paving the way for co-ordinated efforts to make the global trading system fairer and function better without compromising the benefits of open markets and rules-based trade.”

     The report examines subsidization for each sector in detail. It shows how it mathematically derives the levels and effects of subsidization. From the graphs below, one can see that China is indeed the king of subsidization, and solar and semiconductors are the most subsidized industries.

     The figure below shows the global revenue shares of each sector by country (China, OECD-Asia Pacific, OECD-Europe, OECD-North America), indicating where subsidization has led to concentration of industry market shares.

 

References:

 

Industrial subsidies reach highest levels since the global financial crisis, says OECD. Press release. 1 June 2026. Industrial subsidies reach highest levels since the global financial crisis, says OECD

China's subsidy machine is reshaping global capitalism. Alex Kimani. Oil Price US. June 8, 2026. China's subsidy machine is reshaping global capitalism

OECD MAGIC Database of Industrial Subsidies. June 2026. OECD MAGIC Database of Industrial Subsidies (EN)

 

David Jenkins of Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship is Correct That We Need an All-of-the-Above Energy Strategy and that Energy Cancel Culture is Not Warranted Nor Useful

     David Jenkins, a lifelong conservative who is the president of the group Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship, recently wrote an Op-Ed in the Tampa Bay Times that calls for an all-of-the-above strategy for energy, one that in 2008 was endorsed by most conservatives as well as Obama. Jenkins advocates for free market investment in the smartest and most cost-effective energy technologies. He expresses disappointment in a recent call by Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Paul Renner to essentially apply cancel culture to renewable energy, saying that his information is basically outdated. Instead, Jenkins notes that Florida has very good solar energy resources but gets only 11% of its electricity from solar and wind (virtually all from solar), compared to Texas, which gets about 30%, and other red states like Oklahoma (42%), Iowa (61%), North Dakota (59%), and New Mexico (59%). He says the market is deciding how much energy is coming from renewables in these states.

     He thinks natural gas prices are likely to rise due to higher demand from LNG exports and data centers. He also rejects Renner’s claim that solar should be abandoned because too many components come from China. Jenkins is also adamant about Florida getting more power from solar:

“The fact that the Sunshine State gets a mere 11% of its electricity from solar energy, which is produced in-state and not subject to global supply disruptions, represents a colossal failure.”

     He also suggests that many conservatives oppose solar and wind power simply because many liberals support it.

“Solar energy is Florida's cheapest, most abundant and most secure source of energy. And in this age of ever-rising electric bills, power-hungry data centers and global unrest, Floridians need leaders who will ditch the foolishness and get serious about lowering energy costs.”

   

 

References:

 

Energy cancel culture emerges in race for Florida governor | Column. David Jenkins, Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship. Updated Thu, May 21, 2026. Tampa Bay Times. Energy cancel culture emerges in race for Florida governor | Column

Democratic Socialists Threaten Private Property Rights, Which Are ‘Essential for Personal Liberty, Economic Dynamism, Market Efficiency, and Social Order’

Democratic Socialism and Its Inapplicability

     The continued primary wins of Democratic Socialists as well as far-right candidates reflect a flaw in our primary system. Many people don’t vote in primaries, and those who do are often motivated by a specific candidate, often one on the fringe. Our primary system favors fringe candidates, and so we often get candidates that reflect a distorted reality. Far-left or far-right candidates are often supported by small minorities. On the left, I would estimate that somewhere between 10 and 15%, and likely closer to 10%, and hopefully less, of Democrats actually favor Democratic Socialists. Of course, this varies by state and region. Since our primary system favors fringe candidates, it also disfavors centrist or moderate candidates, the most likely ones to forge the compromises necessary for good government.

     The idea of socialism, of course, derives from Marxism and is associated with failed states, oppressive states, poor human rights records, massive corruption, and brutal regimes like the Soviet Union. Thus, it is difficult for many of us to see how so many can put those facts aside to endorse socialism as some kind of doctrine that fosters fairness, equality, and functionality. They often conflate social welfare with socialism. They often cite Scandinavian social democracies, which are really quite capitalist, but also benefit from sovereign wealth funds. In Norway’s case, its sovereign wealth fund was built by its oil and gas wealth. It is a petro-state that favors a good degree of social welfare.

     Government-owned and government-run institutions are a feature of socialist and capitalist countries, including the U.S. Ideas like socialized medicine, or rather, universal health care, are often touted as socialist but are really just areas where government involvement can assure wider availability and affordability for the poor. Democratic socialists favor universal health care in some form, as do I, many other Democrats, and some Republicans. It really has nothing to do with socialism. These notions are often put forth to make socialism seem benign and acceptable.

     Others, especially those from former Soviet Republics in Eastern Europe and Western Asia, are much more critical of socialism since they know what it’s like living under Soviet tyranny. Consider the following quotes of someone who lived under socialism in the Soviet Republic of Georgia and his father’s grueling oppression under it.

“But socialism, in practice, does not work without force and brutality, even if you give it nice adjectives like “democratic.” Socialism is not really a policy or an economic system. It is not Scandinavia. It is a machine whose only function is to destroy anyone sufficiently capable, principled or stubborn enough to threaten those who operate it. It does this legally, bureaucratically and, when necessary, with bullets.”

“And even when socialism finally and thankfully disappears, it has a distinctive habit of leaving behind impoverished, authoritarian basket-case countries with decades of problems to sort out.”

“In 1988, the same year my father was secretly listening to Radio Free Europe (Soviet law classified this as a crime), Bernie Sanders sat bare-chested in a Soviet banya, wrapped only in a towel, singing with his Soviet hosts over vodka toasts. He later called it “a very strange honeymoon.” His hosts knew exactly what to show him and what to hide from him.”

“My father knew what was being hidden. He had lived inside it.”

     In a Fox News segment, Julian Epstein notes that:

“Socialism is basically the idea that if you’re not happy with things, it’s the system’s fault and the government will bail you out.”

     Certainly, capitalism is the ‘scapegoat’ used over and over by socialists. With them, blaming everything on capitalism is commonplace. Epstein decried what he says is the Democratic Party’s movement toward extreme candidates. While some may disagree, there is evidence. A current Democratic Socialist Congressional candidate and Muslim-convert, endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Darializa Avila Chevalier, has been associated with:

“…thousands of posts and reposts expressing support for abolishing police, prisons and borders, as well as seizing private property and nationalizing major industries and calling into question Israel’s right to exist.”

     Although she backtracked and deleted her old Twitter account, saying that those views don’t reflect her views today, she is widely known to have such views, including the common socialist slogan to “seize the means of production.”

     We have had Bernie Sanders for many years, and AOC and a few others, fringe politicians with influence in certain places, but Mamdani as mayor of New York is perhaps the first occasion in America of a Democratic Socialist with significant executive power. Mamdani promised in his inaugural address to introduce New Yorkers to “the warmth of collectivism.” Mamdani recently announced a plan to transfer properties to tenants and non-profit groups, citing bad landlords. According to Jonathan Turley, in an opinion piece for The Hill:

“Mamdani faced criticism for his appointment of Cea Weaver as the new director of the Office to Protect Tenants. She previously called for efforts to “impoverish the white middle-class” and called homeownership “racist” while demanding the seizure of private property.”

“Videos of Weaver echoed thread-worn socialist mantras that are the signature of the Mamdani Administration. “I think the reality is, that for centuries we’ve really treated property as an individualized good and not a collective good,” she said. “And transitioning to treating it as a collective good and towards a model of shared equity will require that we think about it differently and it will mean that families — especially white families, but some POC families who are homeowners as well — are going to have a different relationship to property than the one that we currently have.”

“Weaver famously tweeted out her beliefs about private property, which are apparently widely shared in the Mamdani administration: “Private property, including and kind of ESPECIALLY homeownership is a weapon of White supremacy masquerading as ‘wealth building’ public policy.”

     Mamdani’s effort to develop city-run grocery stores is also being revealed as a likely boondoggle:

“His grocery stores show the same economic sleight of hand. The city is planning to spend $30 million to create the first store — four times what such stores normally cost. On top of that cost, it was discovered that the city had already appropriated $25 million for the improvement of the site. That is $55 million for a site that will not go on the market for the highest bidders, but rather be operated by the city at a loss.”

     It has also been pointed out that the current grocery stores in these areas may have trouble competing with the heavily subsidized city-owned stores. It will certainly distort the market.

     A recent article in the New York Post highlights the DSA’s development of its “community defense” initiative, called the Red Rabbits Security Commission, which seeks to have an expanded role in street protests and direct-action organizing. Now, I think it’s fine if someone wants to protest against the overarching actions of ICE, for instance, but if we have organized political factions with much broader goals against our current political system setting the terms of protests, that is a recipe for disaster. The group was previously called the National Vigilance Committee but changed due to the negative connotations of vigilantism. Previous members have praised political revolutionary violence. Current interests include:

“…martial-arts sparring, evacuation planning, wound-packing, radio communications, the use of umbrellas and signs to shield participants from and block “fascists,” and even chemical-exposure training, in which participants practiced being pepper-sprayed.”

     Some local DSA groups work with:

“…the Party for Socialism and Liberation — a would-be revolutionary political party with close ties to the Communist Party of China. Portland DSA cited its work with the National Lawyers Guild — a left-wing legal group with historic ties to the Soviet Union — to provide know-your-rights trainings.”

     Yuck!

     The article goes on to suggest that such activities could endanger the DSA’s designation as a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization.

“Some Red Rabbits activities, like know-your-rights education and de-escalation training, probably meet that threshold. But it’s hard to argue that a street-level security force geared toward disruption, confrontation, and resistance to law enforcement exists primarily to “further the common good.”

“Tactics such as blocking traffic with bicycles, training activists to escape physical holds, forming umbrella phalanxes to confront “fascists” and conducting “takedowns on intersections” bear little resemblance to traditional social-welfare activities.”

“Instead, they suggest preparation for a broader “national uprising” — one of the organization’s stated directives.”

 

The Importance of Private Property

     Private property is simply ownership by a non-governmental entity, whether a person, a group of people, or a corporation. Of course, governments also have a stake in private property through taxation, or property taxes. According to Wikipedia, there are four types of property taxes:

“The four broad types of property taxes are land, improvements to land (immovable human-made objects, such as buildings), personal property (movable human-made objects), and intangible property.”

     Wikipedia also explains how socialists generally regard private property:

“Socialist economists are critical of private property in the means of production, as socialism aims to replace it with social ownership or public property. Socialists generally argue that private property relations limit the development of productive forces once production becomes increasingly collective, and some socialist theories maintain that economic functions traditionally performed by capitalists could be carried out through collective or social ownership. Socialists generally favor social ownership either to eliminate class distinctions between owners and workers or as a component of the development of a post-capitalist economic system.”

     We know that economic freedom, which is girded by private property rights, leads to prosperity. Countries with adequate economic freedom have higher economic productivity and exhibit more efficient use of resources. Private property rights also support social cohesion, especially since there is no fear of the government seizing property.

     Below, it is explained how private property rights provide the basis for economic development.

     When Hugo Chavez was elected in Venezuela in 1998, his Bolivarian socialist government seized wealthy estates, redistributed wealth, and seized and nationalized companies, including the oil companies that had previously made it the wealthiest country in South America. It went from there to the country with the second least economic freedom by 2018, second only to the North Korean brutal dictatorship. It essentially became a failed state with hyperinflation, mass corruption, and starving people, which led to mass migration out of the country.

     Another New York Post article explores Bernie Sanders’ call to nationalize half of the AI industry. Bernie had previously called for a national ban on AI data centers. A few Progressive states, like New York, have enacted state bans. The Post’s response to Bernie’s proposal notes:

“It has zero chance of passing even a Democratic Congress; it’s blatantly unconstitutional; it’s economic suicide — and it’s fundamentally tyrannical.”

     While Trump has taken a small but significant government stake in a few companies, raising eyebrows, it falls short of the seizure of private property. The Post decries collectivism and continues:

“That collectivism brings oppression and ruin everywhere it’s tried — but then Sanders has been a fan of every nation that’s impoverished itself this way, from the Soviet Union to Castro’s Cuba to Chavez’s Venezuela.”

     Bernie was originally impressed by the collectivist kibbutz system he participated in in Israel and its purported communist origins. He honeymooned in Moscow, and after Chavez was elected in Venezuela, when it still had oil wealth before the Chavismo government ruined it, he hailed it as the great success of South America. Under socialism, it became the exact opposite. The Post expressed dismay that there is not more backlash against Bernie’s ideas, which they call “monstrous.” I agree that we need to denounce such ideas strongly. I agree that it is a very bad look for the Democratic Party to support such nonsense.

     In a twist for this post, there is a situation in New York City where seizing a specific private property is warranted.

“A bipartisan majority of NYC Council members is demanding Mayor Zohran Mamdani seize privately owned property in order to save a piece of Manhattan history tied to the Underground Railroad”

       They called on Mamdani to use the city’s eminent domain powers to preserve the property and “to block a proposal to build a 100-foot-high commercial building next door to the Merchant’s House Museum in NoHo, where a secret passageway used to smuggle slaves to freedom was discovered in February.”

 

 

 

References:

 

Opinion: Mamdani introduces New York to socialism, 'block by block'. Opinion by Jonathan Turley, opinion contributor. The Hill. May 30, 2026. Opinion: Mamdani introduces New York to socialism, 'block by block'

Private property. Wikipedia. Private property - Wikipedia

Importance of Private Property Rights. Bruce Colbert, AICP. Property Owners Association of Riverside County. July 16, 2018. Importance of Private Property Rights

At $55M, Mamdani’s city-owned grocery store is a growing boondoggle. Opinion by Post Editorial Board. New York Post. May 30, 2026. At $55M, Mamdani’s city-owned grocery store is a growing boondoggle

Socialist 'Red Rabbits' are training for national uprising against cops. Opinion by Stu Smith. New York Post. June 9, 2026. Socialist 'Red Rabbits' are training for national uprising against cops

Mamdani-backed congressional candidate deleted posts calling to seize private property, abolish police, borders, prisons. Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck. CNN. June 1, 2026. Mamdani-backed congressional candidate deleted posts calling to seize private property, abolish police, borders, prisons | CNN Politics

Julian Epstein: Democratic Party is losing moral authority by aligning with extremists. Fox News. June 12, 2026. Julian Epstein: Democratic Party is losing moral authority by aligning with extremists | Watch

NYC Council: Mamdani must seize private property to save Manhattan Underground Railroad site. Rich Calder. New York Post. June 13, 2026. NYC Council: Mamdani must seize private property to save Manhattan Underground Railroad site

Opinion: My family lived through socialism. Most Democrats are frighteningly wrong about it. Opinion by Emzari Gelashvili. The Hill. June 17, 2026. Opinion: My family lived through socialism. Most Democrats are frighteningly wrong about it.

Bernie Sanders’ call to seize the AI industry has damning lessons about politics today. Opinion by Post Editorial Board. New York Post. June 21, 2026. Bernie Sanders’ call to seize the AI industry has damning lessons about politics today

 

 

AI and Electrochemical Additive Manufacturing Help to Develop Direct-to-Chip Cooling System Composed of Copper Plates That Attach to Computer Chips: Can Cut Cooling Costs, Energy Use, and Provide Better Cooling

   

     Improving data center cooling is currently a major research focus. Cooling can add up to over 30% of data center energy usage. This is important since server energy usage in the U.S. more than tripled between 2014 and 2023 and may double or even triple once more by 2028, accounting for up to 12 percent of the nation's grid load, according to a 2024 report.

     Engineers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), in collaboration with a US-based manufacturing company, Fabric8Labs, have developed a direct-to-chip cooling system composed of copper plates that attach to computer chips. The plates have fins, or projections that protrude to increase contact with the circulating coolant and enhance heat transfer efficiency. The fins have jagged edges and pointy tips to increase surface area. They used a technique called topology optimization to design more efficient heat-moving shapes. The method helps to alleviate the thermal-hydraulic trade-off issue by reducing pressure drop, which decreases the power required to pump the liquid coolant through the system.

     According to Nenad Miljkovic, mechanical engineer at UIUC:

"Topology optimization ends up converging on a design which is optimal in maximizing thermal performance and minimizing pumping power."

     The researchers had to find a way to manufacture the copper plates since copper is not easy to work with in additive manufacturing. They used a technique known as electrochemical additive manufacturing (ECAM). ECAM builds the plates layer by layer and does not require melting the copper. Pure copper has a high thermal conductivity, but it’s difficult to 3D print, so most cold plates are made of an aluminum alloy (AlSiMg) or stainless steel, which are not optimal for heat transfer.

"ECAM can manufacture pure copper parts with very fine detail – down to 30 to 50 micrometers, less than the width of a human hair," says Miljkovic.

     Science Alert explains that two important issues are solved with this cooling system:

“First, they could deliver up to 32 percent better cooling than conventional plates with simple rectangular fins. Second, they could reduce pressure drop by up to 68 percent while offering the same level of cooling.”

“The researchers also estimate that incorporating this cold plate technology across an entire "high-density, next-generation" data center could cut its cooling costs to just 1.1 percent of total energy use.”

     Obviously, if cooling energy use could be reduced from 30-40% of total energy use to close to 1%, that would be a massive improvement.

     Powered computer chips in use now produce more heat than previous chips and require more cooling, which is why one of the authors noted that “cooling is the bottleneck in computer-chip design.”

     Below, Fabric8Labs explains in more detail the increasing rack power densities in data centers, why conventional cooling is often inadequate, and how its ECAM-based system can solve those problems.

     Below is a summary of the paper published in Cell Reports Physical Science, a slide showing how topology optimization enables design, a slide showing ECAM fabrication, a slide showing a close-up of the fins, and a slide showing cooling power consumption.

 

References:

 

Engineers found a genius way to slash data center energy use. Ivan Farkas. Science Alert. June 14, 2026. Engineers found a genius way to slash data center energy use

Copper cold plates could slash data-center energy usage. Julia Grimmett, Cell Press. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The Grainger College of Engineering. May 7, 2026. Copper cold plates could slash data-center energy usage | Mechanical Science & Engineering | Illinois

Data Center Liquid Cooling: Lower energy costs, higher compute density, and future-proof performance: The AI Factory Cooling Challenge. Fabric8Labs. Data Center Liquid Cooling - Fabric8Labs

Ultra-high-performance cold plate development through topology optimization and electrochemical additive manufacturing. Behnood Bazmi, Aniket Ajay Lad, Evgeny Shatskiy  …  William P. King, Ian Winfield, Nenad Miljkovic. Cell Reports Physical Science. Volume 7, Issue 5. 103272. May 20, 2026. Ultra-high-performance cold plate development through topology optimization and electrochemical additive manufacturing: Cell Reports Physical Science

Bipartisan Backlash Leads to Trump Administration Backtracking on Plan to Dismantle Ocean Monitoring System

     A coalition of seven Democratic senators and one Republican, as well as two Democratic House committees, sent letters to the National Science Foundation on June 15 pushing back against their proposal to eradicate the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI).

“The OOI is an intricate monitoring system that cost roughly $386 million to build and comprises 900 unique deep-sea buoys and advanced marine instruments.”

     Luckily, and in the interest of science, the push to dismantle the OOI was abandoned by the Trump administration in response to the backlash. The senators, including Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, noted that we are currently entering an El Niño event, where ocean monitoring could be beneficial. The senators argued that dismantling OOI "threatens the safety of our coastal communities while undermining our nation's ability to monitor coastal environments, marine currents, and extreme weather events." They also argued that it threatens emergency response to weather events. They also argued that keeping OOI going is in line with "recommendations provided by the National Academy of Sciences in its Decadal Survey of Ocean Sciences."

     Real-time data from OOI is publicly available and provides long-term monitoring for phenomena like seafloor eruptions, methane emissions, and ocean temperatures.

     The planned dismantling of OOI is part of the administration’s planned budget cuts for the National Science Foundation, which manages OOI. The administration requested $3.9 billion for the NSF in 2026, down from the $9.1 billion enacted in 2025. This is a huge funding drop.

     OOI was established in 2016 and involves around 900 instruments across parts of the Pacific and Atlantic, especially designed to withstand the immense pressure and corrosive saltiness of the ocean depths.

     According to CNN, on June 18, 2026:

“NSF announced it will halt these plans and convene an expert panel to “identify a sustainable path” forward. One array off the coasts of Oregon and Washington has already been removed, but the NSF said in a statement that it is “developing plans to redeploy the equipment.” The organization confirmed it would “not proceed with further removal or descoping of equipment from the remaining arrays.”

“The NSF’s about-face comes amid intense backlash to its original decision. Experts feared the US was taking eyes off the oceans as they endure a period of huge change, with off-the-chart temperatures fueling devastating storms and threatening fisheries, and fears a critical system of Atlantic Ocean currents could be on course to collapse.”

     A day earlier, the senators passed bipartisan legislation in the Senate to block the use of federal funds to dismantle the system until the NSF conducts a “thorough review and assessment” of the network, with input from scientists and coastal communities.

     The oceans are vast and are one part of the Earth system where we do not have complete data, in light of the very significant changes in the oceans in recent decades and years. Ocean data is also a key to getting a better understanding of climate change.      

     I disagree with the Trump administration’s illogical push to limit scientific research, especially as China, our main rival in scientific research, is ramping up.  

 

References:

 

Trump administration ditches plan to close a critical ocean monitoring system after furious bipartisan backlash. Laura Paddison and Ella Nilsen. CNN. Updated June 18, 2026. Trump administration reverses plans to ditch a critical ocean monitoring system after furious bipartisan backlash | CNN

Senators decry elimination of ocean monitoring system. Beth McCue. The Well News. June 18, 2026. Senators decry elimination of ocean monitoring system

Membrane Technology Breakthrough for Fractionating Hydrocarbons Announced: Ultrathin Polymer Membranes with Locked Intrinsic Microporosity

     Last year, I posted about the potential of polymer membrane technology that can fractionate hydrocarbons via reverse osmosis and its potential to revolutionize refining. Now, a team of international researchers has developed a new class of ultrathin polymer membranes that can separate complex hydrocarbon mixtures. This new method, like the reverse osmosis method, can significantly reduce the energy required to separate the hydrocarbons, which currently is one of the most energy-intensive industrial processes. As recounted by Tech Xplore, the researchers discovered:

“…a new way to form the separating layers in polymer membranes for molecular separations. The breakthrough derives from the way the cross-linking agent for the polymer film is added to the polymer during membrane fabrication.”

“The membranes combine extremely high molecular selectivity with fast liquid transport—a combination that has long eluded scientists and engineers working in this field.”

     The results of the testing were reported in a paper in Science:

     Currently, the thermal distillation of hydrocarbons uses about 1% of the global energy supply. Membrane technologies have long been in development, but have been limited by the materials used.

"Membranes can, in principle, do the same job as distillation or evaporation, using far less energy," explains lead researcher Andrew Livingston, professor of chemical engineering and vice president of research and innovation at Queen Mary University of London, and CEO of Exactmer.

"The problem has been finding materials that are both fast and selective when exposed to real hydrocarbon mixtures."

     The key to the new method is manufacturing polymer membranes so that their nanoscale pores are "locked" in place during formation. Sub-nanometer pores separate molecules by size and type, but the polymers normally swell when exposed to hydrocarbons, causing the pores to expand and lose selectivity.

“To overcome this, the team developed an in-situ cross-linking approach that stabilizes the polymer structure while the membrane is being formed. This process locks the pores in their optimal configuration, producing what the researchers call polymers of locked intrinsic microporosity (PLIMs).”

"The key was stabilizing the structure before the polymer had a chance to swell," explains Dr. Zhiwei Jiang, who led the research as head of membrane research at Exactmer and who is now assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

"This preserves the tiny pores that make molecular separation possible, while still allowing hydrocarbons to flow through very quickly."

     Quasi-elastic neutron scattering at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, the U.K.'s national pulsed neutron facility, was used to develop the process.

     As noted below, the method tested quite successfully with light Arabian oil. It also tested successfully by separating a mixture of virgin naphtha with C4-C6 hydrocarbons from heavier naphtha hydrocarbon components.

     The researchers also demonstrated that the membranes can be manufactured at scale. Testing showed stable performance over 30 days of continuous operation. As noted below, the membranes can be manufactured as drop-in membranes into existing module designs.

"These membranes aren't just laboratory curiosities," said Dr. Adam Oxley, first author of the research paper and now deputy vice president of membranes at Exactmer. "They can be produced using established manufacturing techniques and fitted into existing industrial module designs. At Exactmer, we are building these new techniques into membranes used for high-value separations in organic solvents."

     Below, the researchers note that the membrane process can be used in petroleum refining, petrochemicals production, for industrial solvents, in the pharmaceutical industry, and with biofuel feedstocks.

     Future research directions include deploying the PLIM membrane tech alongside existing refinery processes and deriving pharmaceuticals in organic solvents.

"This work shows that membrane-based molecular separation in organic liquids is no longer just a theoretical possibility," said Livingston. "With the right materials design, it can be fast, selective, scalable—and ready for industry."

     Dr. Zachary P. Smith, associate professor of chemical engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), said,

"As all chemists know, 'like dissolves like.' So how can you separate hydrocarbon liquids using a hydrocarbon polymer without the polymer itself dissolving while in use? Livingston and his team have developed an approach to 'lock' their polymers in place, making them stable under aggressive conditions.

"More than that, they have shown that this approach works with some of the newest and most innovative emerging polymers in membrane science, helping to push the field into untapped areas of application."

     Ryan P. Lively, professor in the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, added,

"One of the key technological barriers facing membrane deployment in crude oil refining [is/was] the very low productivity of the membrane units. The membranes from Livingston's research are more than 100 times more productive than the first-generation membrane materials—the fact that this was achieved along with improved separation efficiency is a remarkable achievement.

“The composition of the membrane selective layer is interesting. The polymer backbones used had been considered previously, and cross-linked polymers had been considered previously, but the special combination that the team discovered really hit a sweet spot in terms of membrane performance.”

"Being able to go from a small postage-stamp test to a full-size membrane module in such a short time indicates that the prospects for membrane-based oil refining are bright. Indeed, this article and others in the academic literature continue to indicate that there are real economic and environmental benefits to moving forward with membranes for oil refining at larger and larger scales."

     Membrane technologies appear to be the future of oil refining, but will likely take years to further develop.

 

  

References:

 

Ultrathin membranes could transform hydrocarbon processing by slashing energy use. Science X staff. University of London. TechXplore. June 18, 2026. Ultrathin membranes could transform hydrocarbon processing by slashing energy use

Ultrathin polymer membranes with locked intrinsic microporosity for hydrocarbon fractionation. Adam Oxley, Chunchun Ye, Seok Ju Han, Guoke Zhao, Yihao Guo, Xin Shi, Jie Liu, Keenan Smith, Mona Sarter, and Zhiwei Jiang +13 authors. Science. 18 Jun 2026. Vol 392, Issue 6804. pp. 1268-1273. Ultrathin polymer membranes with locked intrinsic microporosity for hydrocarbon fractionation | Science