China seen topping U.S. carbon emissions in 2007

[tex-wyo-dem]

Source: Reuters

China seen topping U.S. carbon emissions in 2007

By Emma Graham-Harrison and Gerard Wynn
1 hour, 12 minutes ago

BEIJING/LONDON (Reuters) - China is on course to overtake the United States this year as the world's biggest carbon emitter, estimates based on Chinese energy data show, potentially pressuring Beijing to take more action on climate change.

China's emissions rose by some 10 percent in 2005, a senior U.S. scientist estimated, while Beijing data shows fuel consumption rose more than 9 percent in 2006, suggesting China would easily outstrip the U.S. this year, long before forecasts.

Taking the top spot would focus pressure on China to do more to brake emissions as part of world talks on extending the United Nations' Kyoto Protocol on global warming beyond 2012.

Thirty five developed nations have agreed to cut emissions under Kyoto and they want others -- especially the United States and China -- to do more.

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Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070323/sc_nm/carbon_china_dc

[SayWhatYo]

1. Jeez, we can't beat the Chinese at anything...

That's a joke, folks...

[kelvinyany]

2. China cities are now covered in black soot

I have been wondering how US be more polluted then China. If anyone had watched the PBS documentary "China From the Inside", it is unbelievable how polluted China is. People are dying of cancer, rivers are polluted and the air is covered in black soot from coal power plant. I wouldn't even buy any food imported from China anymore.

http://www.pbs.org/kqed/chinainside/

[ohio2007]

3. ...but China is a developing country...they get a free pass

and the Kyoto protocol isn't a threat to their hyper economy
/sarc

[David__77]

5. Why shouldn't they get their "industrial revolution?"

It's easy for developed country ecologists to pontificate about emissions from China, but why should they be denied what we achieved a century ago? If we don't like it, we better spend many billions of dollars on transfering technology to them so that they can restrict the environmental damage from development. That is something I support, because we DO need to protect the environment, while respecting countries' sovereign development rights.

[ohio2007]

6. ? Free Trader ? nt

[David__77]

10. No, not at all.

But if we are to have free trade, then the US should be open to China as well.

[kelvinyany]

7. China are killing their own people and pollution their own drinking water

Go ahead and pollute. It's their lives to deal with. They can still have their own "industrial revolution" without killing their own. Tens of Thousands are dying of cancer drinking cancerous polluted water. So, go ahead and pollute.

[ohio2007]

8. ..and the acid rain is killing the Pacific Northwest

China builds a coal fired electric plant at the rate of one a week !!!

You know they don't follow safety rules abouve ground either.

[David__77]

9. That's why the West needs to aid them.

We need to transfer technology to them and other aid so they can institute cleaner production processes. But development will occur with or without aid. I just have little criticism of China for pursuing policies of economic growth, even with the adverse consequences.

[gravity]

11. It was the same with our industrial revolution

[w4rma]

4. Thank you 'free' trade for giving our world this gift of major polution.

:sarcasm: