Having spent some time travelling in Europe and America recently I think it is useful to break the CO2 polluters into 3 categories.
Worst polluters - 20 tonnes+
Australia and US. Over 20 tonnes of CO2 per person annually. These so-called new countries have always put monetary gain ahead of conservation whether it be forests, pollution control, or indeed regulation of climate change. Climate deniers have the upper hand.
Reforming polluters - 10 tonnes or less
European countries - Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain.
The EU has regulations that price pollution, expand renewables, regulate motor car efficiency. These countries value their land and forests and have been more conservation minded for years. (German aristocrats planted forests hundreds of years ago.) Whether it be left or right on the political spectrum - curbing CO2 pollution at the expense of short term monetary gain is widely agreed upon.
New Zealand fits in this group with CO2 pollution half that of Australias, and its emissions trading scheme was proposed by its conservative party.
Potential new polluters - Below 5 tonnes
China (2.7 tonnes), India (1.0 Tonne), Cuba (3.1 tonnes)
It is important to recognise that the CO2 in the atmosphere that is causing climate disruptions was created by Europeans, Americans and Australians during the last 50 years - not Chinese and Indians. As their populations grow they will add to our created problem. That CO2 or fossil fuel burning created wealth for us - not them - but as their living standards improve by using non-renewables then I believe we can apply the population argument.
Yours,
Clive Blazey
Source of data:
Earthscan - Atlas of Climate Change, 2006.
Incidentally, Australia’s real CO2 pollution figures exclude 6 tonnes of methane – way higher than any country described taking the real total to 26 tonnes per person per year excluding exports!.