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It's funny because we produce more pollution per capita in the US (even if China produces more overall).
by Joof 10y ago
It's funny because we produce more pollution per capita in the US (even if China produces more overall).
- ekianjo 10y agoBecause the level of life of US citizens is much higher on average. The wealthier you are the more you consume and therefore pollute.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- danmaz74 10y agoI think the problem (for Chinese people) is that China ha much more dense population than the US.
- seanmcdirmid 10y agoThe US has more arable land, so can be a net food exporter, though we have to wonder if China's almonds are worth so much California water during a drought. But otherwise the rest of our net exports are fairly high value, airplanes and IP so to speak, and have low environmental impact.
- lostlogin 10y agoI must be misunderstanding you - you're not saying that US industry has a low environmental impact are you?
- seanmcdirmid 10y agoExport industries in the states have lower environmental impact than those in China. For example, the environmental impact of IP, e.g. Software development, is pretty low. Making an airplane is also low impact on a dollar-dollar basis (they have an impact, but it is well amatorized in the price). China, in turn, does $2 of environmental damage to make $1 in profit.
- lukeschlather 10y agoSoftware development depends on Chinese pollution. It's difficult to say what the cost of software would be if we had to pay full price for the externalities involved in computer manufacturing.
- seanmcdirmid 10y agoBut the Chinese are paying those cost, not us. My point is exactly that China is pooping on their environment mostly for our westerner benefits. It is weird that they stand for it, but the current government doesn't feel like they have a choice.
- lostlogin 10y agoI'm surprised that making aircraft are is low impact. Things like smelting aluminium are pretty bad. However there is more to a plane than aluminium and more to US industry than aircraft.
- seanmcdirmid 10y agoThe airplanes don't so much have low impact, rather they have a high sales price. Divide it out and it works out well enough. Airplanes have a lot of IP going into them. Also, there is a good reason Boeing setup originally in Seattle. The smelting of aluminum is much cheaper when an abundance of surplus hydroelectricity is available.
- lostlogin 10y agoSmelting wouldn't really count as an environmentally friendly activity, but having a relatively low impact source of electricity helps. Interesting regarding their location, thanks.
- moultano 10y agoProduction produces pollution, people dont. Per capita pollution is mostly similar to per capita GDP.