9.20.2016
Our climate is changing, the world is definitely getting warmer and our weather is getting more and more extreme and unpredictable. The average temperature of the United States has risen 2° since 1960, and the rest of the world has had similar results. That doesn’t seem like a lot but is has a very adverse effect on our weather. This has resulted in extreme fluctuations in climate and weather patterns and is causing grief and misery across the planet. The question is not whether or not global warming is a problem but what can man do to stop it.
The biggest problem we as Americans have is that we cannot solve global climate change on our own. While we use more energy per person than most people on this planet we are only responsible for a small percentage of the world’s energy use overall, and greenhouse gases that are the result of that.
The following table lists the top 4 carbon emitting countries in 2014 annual CO2 emissions estimates (in thousands of CO2 tonnes) along with a list of emissions per capita (in tonnes of CO2 per year) from same source. The top 10 largest emitter countries account for 68.2% of the world total. Other powerful, more potent greenhouse gasses are not included in this data, including methane. CO2 accounts for about 65% of green house gas emissions.
2014 Top producers of CO2 –
** Country ** CO2 emissions (kt) in ** Emission per capita (t) **
China 10,540,000 7.6
United States 5,334,000 16.5
European Union 3,415,000 6.7
India 2,341,000 1.8
US energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2012 were 12% below the peak levels of 2007. The United States was the largest emitter of carbon dioxide emissions until 2006 when China overtook us. In just 1 decade China has nearly doubled it’s output of greenhouse gasses. As if that isn’t scary enough India, who will soon pass China in total population, is doing all it can to modernize its society, including increasing it’s carbon footprint. What will happen when India’s greenhouse gas emissions are on par with China’s? And the rest of the under developed world is doing the same.
List of countries by CO2 emissions –
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions
EPA Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data –
https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data
The world total emissions of CO2 in 2014 was slightly less than 36,000,000 kt. The United States was responsible for just over 5,000,000 kt of that. The United States is responsible for about 15% of the worlds carbon emissions yet we are about 4% of the worlds population. We can continue to reduce our overall emissions in a variety of ways. Creating alternative, non-polluting energy sources, more efficient use of the fossil fuels we do burn, strict laws that enforce pollution control and by encouraging the technologies that make all of the above and any other means of reducing greenhouse gasses possible. Even if we do all these things to extremes we cannot make a significant difference in the destruction of our atmosphere. If America could find a way to cut our carbon emissions by one third that would only make a 5% difference in the worlds total carbon emissions. It will take years to develop and institute the technologies to reduce our carbon footprint by any significant amount, if it is even possible. If we were to try to reduce our carbon footprint by any significant amount in a short period of time strictly by reducing our use of fossil fuels it would do severe damage to our economy, could cause the loss of tens of millions of jobs, endanger our national security and inflict a variety of restrictions and drawbacks that our society will not tolerate. With the rest of the world continually raising their CO2 and overall greenhouse gas output anything we do here in America will not have any significant effect on global warming, and even though we are trying to reduce pollution in this country, other countries are even less willing than we are to make sacrifices of their immediate wants, needs or fragile economies for the greater good of the planet.
Statistics on the web pages above show that as any nation grows wealthier its greenhouse gas emissions increase. The U.S. Emits over 16 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person, but we are not the highest per capita generator of CO2. Many of the OPEC members are the highest per carita generators of greenhouse gas. Qatar citizens average almost 40t (tonnes) each, Kuwait generates over 28t and the UAE’s average 21.3t. Saudi Arabia emits 16.8t. Other high per capita polluters include Japan (10.1t), Russia (12.4t), Australia (17.3t), Kazakhstan (14.2t), Tiawan (11.8t), Canada (15.9t), the Czech Republic (10.4) and the list goes on. While it is apparent that pollution is somewhat related to weather, it is more directly tied to wealth, affluence and a countries willingness to take steps to protect the environment.
Mankind has not been kind this planet. We have used many of the Earth’s resources to do great things, but we have abused many of Earth’s gift of resources and wasted many of its natural blessings out of ignorance and greed. We have caused the extinction of thousands of species of animals, we have polluted our lands, oceans and waterways so severely that some may never recover. We may well have damaged our atmosphere so severely that we may cause our own extinction. We are now suffering the results of our actions. More and more we are seeing food shortages, water shortages, extreme and more frequent storms, floods, droughts and all the other problems mother nature can cause when she is not in balance. Mankind has accomplished many great things. Do we have the ability to make the sacrifices it will take to overcome the damage we have done?
Of course, while mankind has ravaged the planet, humans as a species have thrived. The biggest problem mankind has in overcoming global climate change is the same problem that causes much of the grief, pollution, hunger and want on this planet. That is the problem of overpopulation. There are over 7 billion people on this planet now and there will be over 10 billion in less than 30 years. They all want what we have. The house in the suburbs with a two cars in the garage or the townhouse in the city with all the amenities and the gas burning fireplace, the ability and economic freedom to travel, enjoy recreation and enjoy a modern lifestyle. Planet Earth does not have enough resources for 10 billion people to have the lifestyle that we currently have here in America. Yet that lifestyle is a dream of billions living in the developing nations on this planet, and will be for the billions more yet to be born.
Unless we can develop technologies and methodologies that enable entire new ways of constructing modern dwellings, building infrastructure, transporting people, creating and using energy, growing and raising food, using and conserving water, providing recreation, controlling pollution, dealing with waste and fulfilling the vast array of needs and wants we humans have this world will not support the weight of humanity we have burdened it with.
I have heard it said many times that our president thinks that global warming is the greatest threat to our national security. I believe global climate change is a serious problem to this entire world, and a threat to all people on the planet. However, climate change is only a symptom of the real problem, as is hunger and war and many of the problems that plague mankind……. the problem of overpopulation.
Acts of man can affect other people but acts of nature affect the entire world. Global warming should be considered a threat to world security and to our way of life.
But in reality, what can we as a single nation and a small percent of the world’s population, really do about it?