Even if it were true, do you think we should pay a dime?

Question

Honestly, we are 330 million people compared to China who is just going into their industrial revolution. They are One Billion plus 303 million people, so you are asking the US to not only curtail our pollution but compensate for whatever China puts out.... That is beyond lunacy!!!!

Answer 1

Absolutely not.  

Global warming is happening, but this is what is needed for any global effort to be successful:

- For CO2, the United States must bring at least China, India and Russia into an agreement.

- For black carbon (60% as strong a factor as CO2) all of Asia must be included

- For methane  (50% as strong a factor as CO2), Brazil's beef industry is a key player.

- For deforestation Brazil is way, way out front.  

All of these factors are magnified by population expansion.  Developing nations have the fastest-growing carbon emissions, plus birth rates far above developing nations.  Growth in population will overpower all carbon conservations and emission reduction efforts.  It's simple math.

Developing nations can come to the table now, or we can simply wait until they feel enough pain (after their governments are overturned by angry mobs perhaps) to voluntarily enter into agreements.

Answer 2

Of course we shouldn't be paying to research whether this "myth" is happening. It IS happening (although it is not all because of us) and we're already paying enough for the freaking fuel-price infaltion.

Answer 3

Absolutely not!

The whole theory of 'Man made Global warming' only lives in 'ACADEMIA WORLD'!

As long as people have their beliefs, science no longer matters!

I will say that China,  is going through some of the same problems that the 'Western World' experienced 30-60 years ago, by polluting the waterways, and local atmosphere, but this is only a local issue which they will sort out in time.

The pollution which they generate will have no effect on the global environment.

The world is actually a cleaner environment to live in than it was when I was a young lad.

Answer 4

Who are you talking too?  Your statement "you are asking the US..." doesn't identify the "you".

Whatever China does or doesn't do should NOT stop the US from doing whatever it can (for our own self preservation) to reduce the effects of global warming and prepare to mitigate the consequences.

The current problem was definitely NOT caused by China, though they certainly do need to help prevent it's worsening.  So for the US to point to them and say "we won't do anything until they agree to XYZ" is the height of hypocrisy and ignorance.  We both need to start acting for both our sakes.  The US should be the leading country in the world at developing and switching to non-carbon based energy technology, but sadly we aren't.  That is "beyond lunacy".

Answer 5

No, it's unbelievable that this crazy theory has gotten this far in the first place. We have already wasted a butt load of money on a myth. These wackos should be ashamed. There are real problems in this world.

Answer 6

The United States accounts for only 5.5 percent of the world's population but contributes roughly 30 percent of the total value of goods and services produced in the world. We have nothing to be ashamed of regarding a protocol that was badly slanted against us when it was drafted. It was designed to cripple developed countries while giving a pass to nascent countries. Pollution is pollution regardless of where it's emitted.

Answer 7

Well Cindy, we're a country of 330 million that is nearly matching a country of over a billion in greenhouse gas emissions. Yes, we should be paying a dime. We should be paying a wee pinch more than a dime, in fact.

Which isn't to excuse China of course. They need to work on a sustainable energy policy as well. But still, the point stands.