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China overtakes US as world’s biggest CO2 emitter

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China has become the world’s biggest carbon dioxide emitter, leaving behind the United States. China has surpassed the US by 8% in 2006 carbon dioxide emissions.

The unexpected announcement will fuel the anxiety about China’s increasing contribution to man-made global warming. This will further put pressure for China’s inclusion in a new global agreement on climate change. The developing country’s emission was not expected to overtake the US for several years.

According to the Neatherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, the staggering increase in use of coal for power generation and cement production have helped China overtake the US in carbon dioxide emissions.

China’s emissions were 2% lower than that of the US in 2006. But per head emissions of China is far below that of the US–about one-fourth of the US.

The new figures include carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning and cement production but does not include other sources of carbon dioxide like aviation, shipping, deforestation and underground coal fires. The figures also exclude other greenhouse gases emission like methane from agriculture and nitrous dioxide from industrial processes.

The emergence of China as the top carbon dioxide will bring lot of troubles for not only China but also India. Both India and China have so far been exempted from any cut in carbon emissions in Kyoto protocol and similar relief was not unexpected in Kyoto successor. But the displacement of the US by China to become the top Carbon dioxide emitter will only make the US stand more vehemently to the demand of including India and China in any global treaty on climate change.

Both the countries are not ready to accept any cap on their emissions owing to their developing country status and low per head emissions. Though the developing countries have a right to development and prosperity but it should be avoided at the cost of adding to the already worsening climate change. All countries should look for cleaner fuels and should reduce their emissions. The developing countries can easily do it if they can use fossil fuels more efficiently efficient. In India, the fuel consumption is quite high but is far less efficient than the developed countries.

Hope the developing countries can give up their attitude of taking steps to alleviate climate change but not at the cost of their growth and ‘development’. Even if the countries have to do with slow growth rate, a clean environment is worth that. After all if climate change continues, there shall be no use of growth.

Source: Guardian
Image Source: Tektra.com.cn

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