Why US produce 20 billion tons of CO2 per year where as world CO2 emissions per year is 85 billion tonnes?

Question

Are US people wasting energy and depleting world resources .

Answer 1

As there is more land and less population the density of population is too low in USA . People should use Vehicles to commute and to sustain harsh climate they need Air conditioners so the reason they emit 20 Billion tonnes of CO2.

-------------State---Sq Miles----Population---Density

United States---3,536,278---281,421,906---  80

Although India occupies only 2.4% of the world's land area, it supports over 17.5% of the world's population. 31.8% of Indians are younger than 15 years of age.[4] As per the 2001 census, 72.22% of the people live in more than 550,000 villages, and the remainder in more than 2000 towns and cities

Answer 2

People in the US use energy efficiently. Offenders are China, Mexico, and emerging Third World countries.

Answer 3

Low fuel prices and huge government subsidies in US plus ancient technologies being used instead of newer and more efficient ones in other countries.

Answer 4

No, we're just much more wealthy. Which is a good thing.

Answer 5

Because we can.

I'm not sure I really trust those stats anyway. I'm really, really sure the Chinese government puts out "accurate" stats.. cough cough.  

Answer 6

No, not wasting, the US has a GDP of 13. quadrillion dollars that's 13,843 billion dollars worth of stuff that we produce, Everything from petroleum, products, pharmaceuticals, agricultural products and technology. So we are the top producing country in the world second to japan who has a GDP of 4 quadrillion dollars. The US also maintain a massive Air, Naval and ground force stationed throughout the world. which keeps many countries in their border and makes them behave. Deep down in side the majority of the world is glad that we are a super power, half the wheat we grow is used to feed the world.

Answer 7

Yes...

Edit:

"The earth releases hundreds of gigatonnes of co2 a year and humans are only causing 5%... etc"

The point is that the climate was in equilibrium with those "gigatonnes"; any addition (or subtraction) to the components of that equilibrium, no matter how small, will cause the equilibrium to shift to a new equilibrium.

This new equilibrium may or may not be suitable for life (probably will) but the shifting may be very unsuitable...

Life can exist at the top of a cliff and at the bottom quite nicely but the ride down the cliff... phew!!

"No, not wasting, the US has a GDP of 13. quadrillion dollars ... etc".

Well, yes, wasting!

For each metric ton of CO2 spewed into the environment, the USA manages to generate $1,936 of GDP.

Many other industrialised nations producing equally (if not better) quality and hi-tech goods do much better than this because they are less wasteful / more efficient:

Japan gets almost double at $3,663, most European countries are similar (UK - $3,670, Germany - $3,393).

The USA is more wasteful than a wide spectrum of developed/developing, small/large, cold/hot countries:

Burkina Faso ($4,666), Hong Kong ($4,432), Uganda ($3,733), New Zealand ($3,093), Norway ($2,956), Fiji ($2,453)...

Based on the info from the International Energy Agency, the USA is tied for 5th worst in terms of energy wastage out of 30 industrialised economies.

As for "massive Air, Naval and ground force ...which... makes them behave. Deep down in side the majority of the world is glad that we are a super power"... well, care to give any support for this?! Because it's definitely not true!

And you justify poisoning our environment in order to "make us behave"? The arrogance! I've travelled, lived and worked in most of the world by now and can tell you that, no, deep down inside we are not glad

"We have the most industries that create the most stuff" - as mentioned above but you create more pollution than most other developed nations while producing that stuff.

On top of which, when did producing "stuff" become more morally correct than wasting energy and polluting the environment. As for "most of us here are also struggling to keep our heads above water on a financial basis" - 90% of Americans are richer than 90% of the rest of the world.

How on Earth does that become "struggling"? If this is struggling, what do you call someone who gets $1/day to feed an extended family, has no access to health, education, roads, electricity...?

"We're not wasting if we can afford to buy it" - Have you looked around you recently? It's called the credit crisis and  the USA was buying on credit (one of the highest indebtedness ratios in the world)... that's the point: You can't afford to buy it, you went into debt to buy it!

(And again, since when does the capacity to buy a thing make it right to be wasteful and extravagant? You, yourself, have levelled the same charges at Gore and how wasteful he is - that's just hypocrisy).

Edit 2:

No, Mikira, I don't believe that a very small percentage of the worlds population has the right to live in relative luxury at the cost of impoverishing the rest of the world. I believe in equity and balance. What you consider the "basics" are things some people can only dream of (e.g. a room, whether it be 10x10 or 1x1 or 'transport' to work; most people on this planet walk).

But I'm also practical - I, too, am incredibly lucky to have been born into the luxury and privilege of the developed world. And like most of us, I am no saint and am not about to give it all up.

BUT I am going to try and ensure that I minimise the impact upon those less fortunate than me; I try to minimise the pollution I create and my carbon footprint. I give of my time and money to those in need and I try not to abuse the power that wealth & privilege create. Most importantly, I don't delude myself about the pollution and harm I create. At least I feel guilt unlike some who feel proud to hurt others: "we're just much more wealthy. Which is a good thing".

The US IS wasteful, and polluting. Ignoring this, not even trying to do something unless it lines ones own pockets, saying we waste "because we can" is abusing that power and demonstrates a selfish lack of empathy with the other people who share this planet with us.

It's strange that when the Chinese "create the most stuff" they are disparaged as exploiting workers and using polluting industries; they are "left-wing communists".

Yet if European countries complain that Americans "create the most stuff" by exploiting workers (how many illegal immigrants supporting the US economy?) and using polluting industries (who has resisted and/or opted out of all major environmental treaties?); it is the Europeans who are "left-wing socialists".

Why the double standard?

Answer 8

We're not wasting if we can afford to buy it.

Keep up.

Answer 9

The earth releases hundreds of gigatonnes of co2 a year and humans are only causing 5% of that so compared to exhaling of not just us but everything in the world and the oceans releasing co2 and natural co2 their just tiny

Answer 10

No and Tomcat said it best. We have the most industries that create the most stuff. I haven't looked up the ratio of rich people to middle class to poor people in the US, but if I had to guess it would be about 1/1000. That means most of us here are also struggling to keep our heads above water on a financial basis.

Edit: So Adam you want everyone to be as poor as the poorest country to be considered struggling to survive? In the long run it's all due to inflation. If you made what I make in New York you would have to live in a 10 by 10 room and the rent on that room would eat up nearly half your salery. Then add on top of that the price of food, clothing and transportation to get to work. It wouldn't leave much for anything else. So yes that's still struggling to survive, since most likely you can't afford anything else in life. So is exsisting good enough for you? Or do you want a little more?