With the global climate pact dead, China gets hungry for U.S. factory pork

[n2doc]

BY Tom Philpott
28 JUL 2010 2:40

Now that we've figured out why the climate bill died, it's time to start thinking about the consequences. The failure doesn't just mean that U.S. greenhouse gas emissions will continue inching up. It also means that we probably won't see a global climate deal anytime soon. And that means untold years of ever-increasing emissions -- and likely dire consequences for human habitation on Earth.

Think about a global climate pact from China's perspective. Why should it take leadership, now that the U.S. has refused to act? Sure, China stands as the globe's most prodigious greenhouse gas emitter, and its annual emissions are growing rapidly. But in terms of emissions per person, China stills lags behind us dramatically -- the average Chinese person has less than a fourth of the carbon footprint of her U.S. counterpart.

Moreover, we prosperous consumers in the post-industrial global north are deeply implicated in China's voracious and growing demand for dirty fossil fuels. According to one study, fully one-quarter of China's GHG emissions stem from its export trade to Europe and the United States. Think about that next time you reel in goodies (including iPhones and other tech gadgets) at the nearest Big Box.

But the country's growing appetite for meat -- and its rapid conversion to U.S.-style industrial meat production -- may prove just as damaging. Consumption of grain-intensive meat carries has a massive greenhouse gas footprint (although the claim that it's greater than that of transportation has come into question). Chinese diners still have much to learn from us in terms of gross carnivory. As of 2002 -- the last year for which I can find data -- U.S. citizens were putting away 125 kg of meat per capita each year, vs. 52 kg for Chinese people.



more

http://www.grist.org/article/food-with-the-global-climate-pact-dead-China-gets-hungry-for-corn-fed-fact/