CO2 Production World Wide and Climate Change

[EverCurious452]

In the Off Topic Forum Bigwave posts a nice chart showing how global CO2 emissions break down by country (which matches up with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions)

Since China has the biggest share (29%) and the US is a little less than half that at 16%, (the wiki says that is in fact a little high)  the authors of the article Bigwave links to (and presumably Bigwave) conclude that "... the main effort in CO2 reduction should be in China not the US".  I think this is wrong on three counts.  

 

First, even if China were to succeed in cutting their emissions in half that only reduces global emissions by 14.5% and that is not enough.  All countries, even those emitting just a few percentage points, will have to cut back to have a big impact on the total.  Plus small producers now will be ramping up so much better to get them to convert to sustainable sources now when its easier rather than later when its harder.

Second, you do not lead from the rear.  The stance that "you do this, then we will follow later" will never convince anyone of anything.

Third, if we are to take advantage of the profit potential of shifting the world's energy production to sustainable sources, we need to develop that industry at home if it will be able to succeed abroad or China (and India and pretty much everyone) will just say "well you are using your own technology why should we be the guinea pigs?".

 

All these are synergistic, they all work together.    The link Bigwave provided does not propose a better way of achieving CO2 reductions, it proposes a way of doing nothing.