Carbon Emissions Rising Faster than Expected
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September 26, 2008
International scientists announced on Thursday that worldwide carbon emissions jumped by 3% from the previous year. This rate of increase is faster than even the worst case scenarios predicted by scientists in 2007.
There were a handful of developed countries that were able to reduce their carbon footprint in 2007, but carbon emissions from the US continued to rise. As well, emissions from China rose at an alarming rate. China, who passed the US as the number one emitter of carbon dioxide in 2006, accounted for more than half of the total worldwide increase.
The developed world has continued to move more and more heavy industry to Asia, particularly to China, causing the rapid rise in China’s carbon footprint, despite the extensive measures they took during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Denmark led developed countries in improving their carbon footprint, with an 8% drop in their carbon emissions. The United Kingdom and Germany reduced their emissions by 3%, and Australia and France cut their carbon footprint by 2%.
Russia, the number three polluter in the world, caused largely by their big oil and gas industry, is set to be passed by India in the next few years as it develops economically and grows their own carbon footprint. Indonesia, the fourth most populous country, has also seen their carbon emissions rising rapidly.
Poor countries, who were exempt from the Kyoto Protocol, now account for an astonishing 53% of total carbon emissions in the world.
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