Comment by Epa095
5 hours ago
I find that the per capita graph is more informative https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/co-emissions-per-capita?t...
5 hours ago
I find that the per capita graph is more informative https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/co-emissions-per-capita?t...
Why does per capita matter when it’s the total emissions that we actually care about?
Wonderful, the United States uses more per capita than anyone else. That doesn’t mean anything in terms of total warming. Even if we cut to zero we still continue.
Because emissions are caused by people heating their homes, fueling cars/planes or building stuff for consumption.
With twice as many people (acting similarly) you have twice the emissions, it's as simple as that.
To reduce emissions, you need everyone doing their part. And it is also obviously easier and more effective to tackle high-emitters first (because incentivizing a single US family to have their second car be a bit smaller and electric is obviously less burdensome than banning 3 Indian families from heating their homes in winter...)
China should clearly just stop manufacturing the US’s entire way of life right now to bring those numbers down.
Because per capita means that each individual consumes a lot more than the average in the US.
Also, a bit portion of China's excessive growth in emissions is a byproduct of manufacturing shit for US consumers.
Maybe co2 per gdp per capita? Who generates the most wealth while emitting the least co2.
Per capita doesn't mean nearly as much as total. If the countries above the US were instead on par or below the US as it relates to totals, we wouldn't have the same issue we have now.
If the US went to zero we also wouldn't have the same issue as we have now.
Why should the US be entitled to pollute the world while everyone else has to live without any confort?
Rich people are fine with poor countries staying that way, as long as it doesn't impact their lifestyle somehow.