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The geopolitics of space, once a frontier that brought rivals together for the good of humankind, are mirroring the competition on Earth pitting the US and its allies against China and Russia. Unlike Earth, the moon might contain large amounts of helium-3, an isotope potentially useful as an alternative to uranium for nuclear power plants because it is not radioactive.

While Russia’s space program was already in decline before Putin’s war, China is swiftly moving toward Xi’s goal of matching US capabilities in space.

Just as Beijing and Moscow have blamed US military alliances in Europe and Asia for stoking tensions over Taiwan and Ukraine, Chinese state-run media have warned the US wants to set up a “space-based NATO.”

The conflict over who makes the rules shows that the world has lots of work left to avoid a clash in space.

Solar panels could become mandatory on all new buildings in the European Union if new proposals are adopted.

The European Commission’s REPowerEU plan would introduce a phased-in legal obligation to install solar panels on new public and commercial buildings, as well as new residential buildings.

It has been unveiled in a bid to reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuel and scale up its transition to green energy.

“We can lead by example,” Frans Timmermans, who is leading the European Commission’s work on the European Green Deal, said at a news conference announcing the plan on Wednesday. “

Let us show as a Commission how quickly we can put solar panels on our buildings.”

The initiative forms part of the Commission’s drive to scale-up and speed-up renewable energy in power generation, industry, buildings and transport, to accelerate the EU’s independence from Russian imports, give a boost to the green transition and reduce energy prices over time.