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Largest Producers of Greenhouse Gas Emissions - Urban

According to Vital Different measures of global greenhouse gas emissions have China
Climate Change as either a major carbon polluter or a minor emitter of CO2. The
Graphics, U.S. is a major polluter in all methods.
published by the
United Nations
Environmental Programme in Feb 2005, “Since pre-industrial times, the atmospheric
concentration of greenhouse gases has grown significantly. The present level of
carbon dioxide concentration (around 375 parts per million) is the highest for 420,000
years, and probably the highest for the past 20 million years.” In order to combat
climate change, it is important to determine the countries most responsible for climate
changing emissions but this is complicated by the differing yardsticks used to measure
greenhouse gas emissions.

Current Absolute CO2 Emissions


This measures each country's current emissions of greenhouse gases without taking
into account the population of the country. This yardstick is the one favored by most
of the developed world and using it makes China a major carbon polluter. Using
figures from the Annual Energy Review 2008, published by the U.S. Energy
Information Administration in June 2009, the largest producers of greenhouse gas
emissions in 2006 were:
• China produced 6,017 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.
• The United States are second with 5,902 million metric tons.

Read more at Suite101: Largest Producers of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The


Countries Most Responsible for Climate Changing Emissions http://climate-
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• Russia is third with 1,704 million metric tons.

• India is fourth with 1,293 million metric tons.


• Japan is a close fifth with 1,246 million metric tons.
• Germany is sixth with 857 million metric tons.
• Canada is seventh with 614 million metric tons.
• The United Kingdom is eight with 585 million metric tons.
• South Korea is ninth with 514 million metric tons.
• Iran is tenth with 471 million metric tons.
In all, the world production of carbon dioxide in 2006 was 29,195 million metric tons.

Read on
CO2 Not the Only Greenhouse Gas
Although carbon dioxide is the largest agent of global warming, there are other
greenhouse gases. Methane, nitrous oxide and fluorocarbons all add to climate
change.
Current per Capita CO2 Emissions
Judging a country’s carbon dioxide emissions on a per capita basis gives a totally
different picture. This yardstick is favored by most developing countries such as
China, India and Brazil as a fairer measure of culpability for greenhouse gas
emissions, since it makes the U.S. and the rest of the developed world the major
carbon polluters. Taking the 2006 figures from CO2 Emissions from Fuel Combustion
2009 Edition, published by the International Energy Agency in June 2009 and
ignoring very small population countries such as Gibraltar, Singapore and
Luxembourg plus the oil producing Mid East countries such as Qatar and Bahrain, the
figures are:
• The United States produces 19.05 metric tons of carbon dioxide per person.
• Australia is second with 18.78.
• Canada is third with 16.47.
• Russia is fourth with 11.14.
• Germany is fifth with 10.00.
• Korea is sixth with 9.87.
• Japan is seventh with 9.41.
• New Zealand is eight with 8.99.
• The United Kingdom is ninth with 8.84.
• Greece is tenth with 8.44.
China, India and Brazil are all below 5.00 metric tons per person of carbon dioxide.

Historical CO2 Emissions


Vital Climate Change Graphics gives the pre industrial level of carbon dioxide as 280
parts per million and the developing nations argue that the 31% increase to the present
level of over 380 parts per million is largely due to the developed world’s use of
carbon in the preceding century. This claim by the developing nations is backed up by
J. Roberts and Bradley Parks, authors of A Climate of Injustice, published by MIT
Press in 2007 when they say, “Since virtually all the carbon dioxide emitted since
1945 is still in the atmosphere, and "early industrializers" are almost exclusively
responsible for those emissions, rich nations would be required to make deep and
immediate cuts.” They go on to show that the leading countries responsible for
historical carbon emissions are virtually identical with those responsible for the
current per capita CO2 emissions.
Accurate greenhouse gas emission records are indeed needed to correctly monitor
climate change. Countries that use these measurements as a means to evade their
responsibilities in cutting back on large emissions will hasten the global, irreversible
environmental damage that lowering greenhouse gas emissions are designed to avoid.

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