What if we started expecting our candidates to consider their planetary footprint?

[bloom]

13. You could have 50 trillion people consuming at the rate

people did in 1850 to equal what Americans consume now.

It is not reasonable for Americans to continue to consume resources and fuels at rates so much greater than most in the world (there are a few Middle East countries who need to consume less too).

It's the increase of China and India consumption per capita rates rising (to be closer to our own) which is the problem - more so than merely the population.

The US is at 15.5metric tons per person / 5000 million metric tons total (2015)

China is up to 6.9 metric tons per person / 9000 million metric tons total (2015)

Indian is up to 1.5 metric tons per person / 2000 million metric tons total (2015)

If China or India consumed at our rate - each country's emission would be up to 21,700 million metric tons total.


The countries with the largest cumulative CO2 emissions since 1750 - as of 2019

1) US – 397 GtCO2
2) CN – 214 Gt
3) fmr USSR – 180
4) DE – 90
5) UK – 77
6) JP – 58
7) IN – 51
8) FR – 37
9) CA – 32
10) PL – 27

In 2015, the United States emitted 15.53 metric tons of carbon dioxide per capita. China emitted 6.59 metric tons. India emitted just 1.58 metric tons. As these countries get richer, their per capita emissions are poised to rise further. This is why technology transfer from wealthier countries to less developed economies is shaping up to be a critical component of fighting climate change.

But ultimately the largest share of the burden in cleaning up this mess should fall to those who played the largest role in creating it.

https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/24/18512804/climate-change-united-states-china-emissions

It is true that the U.S. has put more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than any other country, and that U.S. per capita emissions are among the highest in the world. But it is also true that the U.S. won't solve this problem alone (even if we weren't dropping out of global climate treaties).

Regardless of the actions taken by developed countries, the primary driver of carbon dioxide emissions in coming decades will be areas of the world with huge populations, but with low, and growing per capita emissions. A small increase in those per capita emissions can result in a huge increase in overall emissions -- amply demonstrated by Asia Pacific's skyrocketing emissions.

Thus, the most pressing need in the world today is to ensure that countries can develop without a heavy reliance on coal and other fossil fuels, because this is the reason for the status quo.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rrapier/2018/07/01/china-emits-more-carbon-dioxide-than-the-u-s-and-eu-combined/#45d0fec9628c