As mainstream media latch onto the recent revelation by a Dutch think tank that China has surpassed the U.S. as the world’s top emitter of carbon dioxide, Dave Roberts over at Grist tries to leaven the discussion with a list of seven “truths” to keep in mind.
Among the most notable items in the list:
- “The U.S. still vastly outpaces China in terms of per-capita GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions, and will for the forseeable future” (#1)
- “Economic development there is an ethical and political imperative.” (#3)
- “The only way China will choose to develop in a more sustainable-but-expensive way is if somebody else pays for it.” (#6)
- “Who should pay for it? Those who reaped the benefits of fossil fuels and filled the atmosphere with carbon. Us. The West. Principally the U.S.” (#7)
See the full list here.
