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One way to approach this perhaps is to look at emissions per capita. Norway, as an example, is a way bigger offender (or at least has been, haven’t check recent
by CuriousSkeptic 7y ago
One way to approach this perhaps is to look at emissions per capita. Norway, as an example, is a way bigger offender (or at least has been, haven’t check recent data) than China by this metric.
And it _is_ a political problem at this point. You cant really demand change from people around you if you’re not prepared to do the same yourself.
- manfredo 7y agoIt largely depends on how you count emissions. Norway has very low emissions per capita, as they have the right geography for hydroelectric power (with which they generate >95% of their electricity). On the other hand, they have a large industry of exporting oil to other countries.
- koheripbal 7y agoI think a more useful metric is per unit of GDP. ...because then it becomes an efficiency metric. "How much wealth can we create with X amount of CO2".
- leto_ii 7y agoI really don't see how this would be a good idea. First of all it suggests that wealth is the be-all and end-all of human progress. It also implies that wealth creation is equivalent wherever it happens - that somehow if a place is more efficient at creating wealth than it should be privileged. Finally, of course, this means that poorer countries that produce less wealth will almost certainly be less efficient by this metric, and hence should be penalized (of course, we shouldn't mention that a lot of their production actually ends up being consumed by the rich-world which can this way claim to be highly CO2 efficient).
- koheripbal 7y ago> it suggests that wealth is the be-all and end-all of human progress You misunderstand. The point is to quantify economic power. ...because economic power is the ONLY way fix global warming.
- leto_ii 7y agoWell, we already have good measures for economic power, e.g. gdp. How would this extra measure help?
- yibg 7y agobut then very poor countries will never be able to get to the development level of the rich countries because they’ll be energy limited. Buying a car (even if electric) could push them over the quota. Where as folks in the west can continue driving their giant SUVs.
- tonyedgecombe 7y agoVery poor countries developing western lifestyles isn't compatible with solving climate change. The whole thing looks very gloomy to me.
- lucian1900 7y agoInterestingly, China wins over North America and Europe on both metrics.
- srg0 7y agokg CO2 per PPP $ GDP: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.ATM.CO2E.PP.GD?end=2014&locations=CN-NO-US-DE-IN-FR&most_recent_value_desc=true&start=2004&type=shaded&view=chart https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.ATM.CO2E.PP.GD?end=2...
- varjag 7y agoI don't think it has ever been more on emissions per capita than China.
- distances 7y agoPeople on denial will always find a viewpoint that suits them. I've witnessed discussions demanding emission limits per square kilometer of land. Unsurprisingly by people from sparsely populated areas.