On May 7, 2006, at 9:41 AM, Doug Henwood wrote:
> Marta Russell wrote:
>
>
>>> China's consumption may be increasing 3 times faster than the US,
>>> maybe more, I'd have to look it up but
>>> they don't use anywhere near what the US does. The US uses 4
>>> times as much as China.
>>>
>>> John Thornton
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> But isn't the point that they will eventually use as much given
>> their population?
>>
>
> China's population is now 1.3 billion, and growing at 0.6% a year.
> Getting pop growth down that low has been a pretty remarkable
> achievement; the world is growing at a 1.2% annual rate, and India,
> at a 1.4% rate. But I really don't know what you intend by
> introducing China's population as a crucial issue: even if it were
> reduced by a quarter, it would still be 972 million. That would
> have only a marginal effect on China's ecological impact - and it
> would take decades of draconian polcies. And while we were at it,
> we'd have to relieve the earth of several hundred million of our
> 1.1 billion Indians as well, wouldn't we? If we have 10 or 20 years
> to do something serious about climate change, population doesn't
> even enter into the picture.
>
> Doug
If the Chinese develop into a middle class country where millions more people can afford to buy SUVs, that will definitely have an impact on energy use and emission output. That was my point. Millions more people driving SUVs, using computers and dishwashers will impact global warming. It will increase the concentration of greenhouse gases--especially carbon dioxide, which is released by fossil fuel burning and deforestation.
Marta
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