Who's responsible for the climate crisis?
Two new studies try to answer this question: but whichever way we slice it, the answer doesn't change much.
The wealthiest are disproportionately responsible for the greatest emissions, and that's why climate change is so unfair.
An explanatory thread 🧵
Two new studies try to answer this question: but whichever way we slice it, the answer doesn't change much.
The wealthiest are disproportionately responsible for the greatest emissions, and that's why climate change is so unfair.
An explanatory thread 🧵
Comments
I think you can find an excellent, but different, analysis of this question from @isabellamweber.bsky.social and @julietschor.bsky.social.
I wrote about it here:
https://bsky.app/profile/thimbles.bsky.social/post/3lonb3pgivc2u
And that these profits are a symptom of US economic growth since the 80's which has tilted to the top 10 and 1 percent.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/income-inequality-in-america-chart-graph/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0486613415576114
:(
But inequality does impede our democracies' ability to react to climate...
And it turns out that having government that serves those interests of the many can be good for the climate...
Not by annual emissions, as many assume, but rather by cumulative emissions.
Just as the water level in a pool reflects all the water from the hose over time, so also climate responds to the cumulative buildup of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere.
There, in terms of cumulative carbon emissions, the US has remained in the lead for over 100 years.
Just this year, China overtook the EU for 2nd place. See: https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-chinas-emissions-have-now-caused-more-global-warming-than-eu/
But with annual emissions expected to peak soon and then decline, that's likely not the case. Their cumulative total will grow more slowly over time.
https://dialogue.earth/en/digest/chinas-carbon-peak-yet-to-come/
This @carbonbrief.org analysis breaks out individual EU countries, putting Russia at 3 and Brazil at 4.
Different gases have different lifetimes so cumulative data isn't as meaningful. Also, historical data is harder to track than CO2.
Overall, though, the picture isn't much different.
This is what the Paris Agreement is based on, and what the Climate Action Tracker tracks.
Always ahead of the curve.
You'd need to look way down the list to find citizens from e.g. China.
https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-which-countries-are-historically-responsible-for-climate-change/
Notice, how AGW kinda ran away, between American Graffiti & Two Lane Blacktop?
So the answer must be, its us. Its the people that walk the planet today. It is this specific generation alive today, that did it.
If you can’t, then please have the courtesy to read the thread, and click on the references and read them too, and then find a legit reference to share. That would bring great added value.
Thank you!
i cannot put in words how much respect i have for climate scientists who remain so calm in situatiilons like these (that probably happened to you for a million times and for decades).
Thanks for never giving up.
You are so important.
🤔
"Industrial civilization" no longer needs to emit GHGs in such quantities to provide net positive value. Many processes are replaceable today, or near-term replaceable w/cheap🍃⚡
Say 1000 people became a little better off - they still wouldn't be able to buy a private jet to go to Paris when they felt like having a decent baguette. Even if they were able to go to Florida with the family once more, those emissions are less.
CCresponsibility