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--- statistics [2026/05/11 20:20] – ultracomfy
+++ statistics [2026/05/11 20:36] (current) – ultracomfy
@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
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 ===== Climate Change: Absolute Numbers =====
-<WRAP right 400px>
+What's the point in reducing our carbon footprint if China is so selfish? There is a very common graph (which I will show further below) that is used to give the impression that China creates so much emissions that other countries can't do anything about climate change, even if they wanted to. Part of the argument here is that China creates more emissions than other nations. And while it is true that China has the largest share of global emissions, there is often the implication that China is a particularly dirty nation. However, that isn't true. As usual, the graph being used to this end shows absolute numbers, which is misleading. There are reasons for why the absolute numbers are the way they are, and it's not that China is particularly selfish. The reason for these absolute numbers is that China hosts more than a third of the world's population. More civies means more consumption means more emissions. Additionally, China also hosts the world's largest industry. Most of our stuff comes from there because it is cheaper to import from China than to manufacture locally. China doesn't just produce for itself, it produces most things for most of the world.
-{{ ::total_co2_emissions_per_country.png?nolink |}}
-</WRAP>
-Another graphic I stumbled over is the amount of CO2 emissions per country. If you understood the situation with crime, this one should be pretty easy to read as well. The argument here is that there is no point in western countries to go carbon neutral if China won't. Well, no, these are absolute numbers. China hosts more than a third of the world's population. More civies means more consumption means more emissions. Additionally, China also hosts the world's largest industry. Most of our stuff comes from there because it is cheaper to import from China than to manufacture locally. China doesn't just produce for itself, it produces most things for most of the world.
-So, more industry means more emissions. If you adjust this graph for per capita and trade, this is the result:
+Contrast and compare the graph being used maliciously on the left with the graph that accounts for per capita and trade on the right.
-{{ ::per_capita_consumption_based_co2_emissions.png?nolink&1000 |}}
+<WRAP group>
+<WRAP column half centeralign>
+{{ ::total_co2_emissions_per_country.png?nolink&0x500 |}}\\
+Yes, China has high total emissions...
+</WRAP>
+<WRAP column half centeralign>
+{{ ::per_capita_consumption_based_co2_emissions.png?nolink&0x500 |}}\\
+...but the reality is that China is no worse than most other countries.
+</WRAP>
+</WRAP>
 This is not to exculpate China from its increased responsibility in getting to net zero. If all our emissions are imported, it is still China from which these emissions are imported. However, it means there are things we can do about this. The simplest solution would be to stop importing. A more involved solution could be some kind of treaty with China wherein we pay more to China for our imports but China uses the extra money to go to net zero. There are all kinds of possible ideas here. But as far as these statistics are concerned and the way they are used to lie about our reality, it is wrong that we can't do anything about China's emissions, or that China isn't doing anything about its emissions. They're not just releasing uncontrolled amounts of CO2. The reality of China's emissions is that they are roughly on par with the rest of the developed world (except for Australia).