China's greenhouse-gas emissions are rising far faster than expected, according to a new analysis to be published in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. Researchers estimate that by 2010, China may spew 600 million more metric tons of greenhouse gases than it did in 2000; to put that in perspective, the total emissions reductions pledged by signatories to the Kyoto Protocol is 116 million metric tons. But per capita, says Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, China's emissions are still much lower than developed countries. "It's like there is one person who eats three slices of bread for breakfast, and there are three people, each of whom eats only one slice. Who should be on a diet?" he says. "If per capita energy consumption is viewed in the context of the fundamental principle that people are all born equal, then I don't think some people are justified in talking about the large emissions of China, as if they have the moral high ground."
source: SPX, Beijing News.Net, NPR, Daily Times
Obama headed to Copenhagen, sets the bar for success
‘Copenhagen Diagnosis’ offers a grim update to the IPCC’s climate science
Comments
View as Flat
Wolverine Posted 6:58 am
17 Mar 2008
Permalink
bookerly Posted 4:07 pm
17 Mar 2008
No one may be innocent, but the amount of guilt is relative. I was teaching kids yesterday who live in one room homes with no running water, and just a bit of electricity. I assure you that their "innocence" is much great than thine and mine.
If "China is consuming far too much as a country", then what is America doing? And what would you suggest to Chinese individuals that you would not suggest to yourself (and me) and other Americans?
If we really want to solve the problem, rather than form circular "point the finger" squads, we need to be fair to everyone, not just concerned about protecting our own positions.
patrick in Beijing
Permalink
Bulkee Posted 7:27 pm
17 Mar 2008
A shared framwork was needed that could harness the talent of business to solve the world's deepest environmental and social problems.
Carbon tax, Cap-and-Trade,or dual currency system? All these are the methods to solve the problems. We should take practice and perfect them.
Permalink
edarnold41 Posted 4:33 am
18 Mar 2008
Permalink
Wolverine Posted 7:44 am
18 Mar 2008
As I said in my previous post, "[p]eople in the U.S. and other rich countries clearly consume far too much individually." If the individuals consume too much, than the country as a whole consumes too much. To top that off, the U.S. is also grossly overpopulated (and still growing), just not as bad as China or India. Between its overconsumption and overpopulation, the U.S. is almost certainly doing more to destroy the planet than most other nations combined.
"[W]hat would you suggest to Chinese individuals that you would not suggest to yourself (and me) and other Americans?"
I advocate the same for everyone (except for the minuscule number of hunter-gatherers left who are not causing any harm): First, I have no kids, car or cell phone, and I advocate aiming for those goals. I consume virtually nothing on a regular basis except food and drink (material things don't interest me).
So that's it: 1) If you want a family adopt kids. If you must have your own, have just one so we can reduce human population; 2) Evolve already and stop lusting after material things, they won't make you happy anyway, and human consumption of them is destroying the planet. (Perhaps the teachings of Siddhartha should be as required as the three Rs.)
Permalink
bookerly Posted 10:32 pm
18 Mar 2008
Fair enough. Except for the cellphones (smile). Most people in China don't have landlines, they have only cellphones. I suspect that this is better overall for the environment. OTH, they are busy catching up with Americans in terms of Internet Access.
Cars?? I got rid of mine long ago, but have trouble telling others they MAY not have one, when I did have one for a number of years. Don't really like the things myself, but I was young once and did then.
I prefer the carrot to the stick. My experience is it works better (smile). Got any carrot ideas?? (Seriously, I never seem to have enough!!).
patrick in Beijing
Permalink
Tasermons Partner Posted 11:51 pm
18 Mar 2008
China may use the per capita argument, but if they use it for much longer to stave off pollution controls, then the argument will be void, 'cause within a few years their per capita WILL BE THE HIGHEST in the world.
Permalink
Wolverine Posted 4:21 am
19 Mar 2008
Make public transportation free and subsidize pay for it with a gasoline tax. If people see that they can save a lot of money by using public transit and foregoing driving, many, if not most, will choose public transit.
I think China has already got its carrot/stick down with family planning. The only carrots I can think of are 1) providing free and totally unrestricted birth control and abortion and 2) providing free health care and education (to any college level) for families that limit themselves to one child, and significant annual bonuses to families that have no children.
Re cell phones: I don't see how cell phones could be less harmful than landlines. The wires for landlines can be placed under the ground, so aside from digging into the Earth, which is insignificant in an urban area, there is no harm from them. Cellular technology, on the other hand, emits radiation, both from the phones themselves and from the antennas that broadcast the signals. Moreover, communications towers, such as those used for cell phones, kill 5-50 million birds per year in the U.S., I assume about the same in China.
On a personal level, I'm beyond sick to death of idiots braying loudly into their cell phones in public or answering phones at inappropriate times. I'm tempted to show them how wolverine or grizzly reacts naturally to being annoyed like that!
Permalink