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Total CO2 emissions by countries, 2014: US 5.3 Gt China 10.5 Gt India 2.3 Gt Yeah, China and India are totally relevant to global CO2 emissions. T

Total CO2 emissions by countries, 2014: US 5.3 Gt China 10.5 Gt India 2.3 Gt Yeah, China and India are totally relevant to global CO2 emissions. The global climate doesn't give a damn about how many people are responsible for a given quantity of emissions, it's completely and utterly uncaring.

yongjik 11y ago
So, if China decides to divide itself into ten countries, each with 1.05 Gt emission, the earth will be so much better? The global climate doesn't give a damn about national borders, either. Of course China is important, because decisions made by its government can affect a billion people, but the same can be said for the US. (Good luck persuading Chinese people to reduce their emission, if the US doesn't commit itself to do the same.)
- InclinedPlane 11y ago
  Both factors are important, period. Whether it's people who are emitting a lot per capita today or countries with lots of people who are increasing their emissions. You cannot have a reasonable discussion about CO2 emissions without talking about India and China. Let's say the US halves its per capita emissions tomorrow. Hey, that's fantastic right? But then let's say China and India come up to match the US's per capita emissions levels. That would increase China's emissions by 25% and India's emissions by 5x. Increasing total emissions for all 3 countries by 50%. Even if the US stops emitting CO2 tomorrow, if China and India reach 50% of the US's per capita emissions they will together account for 1.2x the total emissions of the US, China, and India today. Pretending that because the US has much higher per capita emissions today means that it's ok to ignore the rest of the world is pure fantasy. That's the point. We should totally "talk" to China and India. Nobody gets a free pass.
- at-fates-hands 11y ago
  >> if the US doesn't commit itself to do the same.) By the stats I posted, it seems we're doing quite a lot actually. Unless you have other data that would indicate otherwise.
scrollaway 11y ago
This isn't how math works. Averages matter. What the world doesn't give a damn about is country borders. Also, enough with the blame game. All three countries have to put in all possible efforts.
- InclinedPlane 11y ago
  > Also, enough with the blame game. All three countries have to put in all possible efforts. That's the point. Some people seem to think that shouldn't be the point. But it has to be. There's only one biosphere, nobody gets a free pass for carbon emissions just because some other country had higher per capita emissions in 2015, that's not how that works.
corndoge 11y ago
Please provide a source to validate your numbers.
- InclinedPlane 11y ago
  http://bfy.tw/3pkg http://bfy.tw/3pkg

yongjik 11y ago

So, if China decides to divide itself into ten countries, each with 1.05 Gt emission, the earth will be so much better? The global climate doesn't give a damn about national borders, either. Of course China is important, because decisions made by its government can affect a billion people, but the same can be said for the US. (Good luck persuading Chinese people to reduce their emission, if the US doesn't commit itself to do the same.)

InclinedPlane 11y ago
Both factors are important, period. Whether it's people who are emitting a lot per capita today or countries with lots of people who are increasing their emissions. You cannot have a reasonable discussion about CO2 emissions without talking about India and China. Let's say the US halves its per capita emissions tomorrow. Hey, that's fantastic right? But then let's say China and India come up to match the US's per capita emissions levels. That would increase China's emissions by 25% and India's emissions by 5x. Increasing total emissions for all 3 countries by 50%. Even if the US stops emitting CO2 tomorrow, if China and India reach 50% of the US's per capita emissions they will together account for 1.2x the total emissions of the US, China, and India today. Pretending that because the US has much higher per capita emissions today means that it's ok to ignore the rest of the world is pure fantasy. That's the point. We should totally "talk" to China and India. Nobody gets a free pass.
at-fates-hands 11y ago
>> if the US doesn't commit itself to do the same.) By the stats I posted, it seems we're doing quite a lot actually. Unless you have other data that would indicate otherwise.

scrollaway 11y ago

This isn't how math works. Averages matter. What the world doesn't give a damn about is country borders. Also, enough with the blame game. All three countries have to put in all possible efforts.

InclinedPlane 11y ago
> Also, enough with the blame game. All three countries have to put in all possible efforts. That's the point. Some people seem to think that shouldn't be the point. But it has to be. There's only one biosphere, nobody gets a free pass for carbon emissions just because some other country had higher per capita emissions in 2015, that's not how that works.

corndoge 11y ago

Please provide a source to validate your numbers.

InclinedPlane 11y ago
http://bfy.tw/3pkg http://bfy.tw/3pkg