World Population Day and Curbing Co2 Emissions on a Per Capita Basis

Thursday, July 11th, is World Population Day. The issue of population growth is highly contentious as many want to point their fingers at the developing world where we are seeing the largest population increases. This is particularly true of Africa. However, rather than look solely at population increases we need to consider the significantly lower national per capita Co2 emissions profiles of developing nations as compared to developed countries.

Growing population is undeniably a serious environmental issue. The earth has a finite carrying capacity which we are already exceeding. The more people there are on this earth the greater the demands we make on the planet's limited resources.

China Wants a Global Climate Change Treaty in 2011 Blames US

China wants to see a global binding climate change treaty by late 2011. In the China Economic Times, Li Gao, a senior Chinese negotiator on climate change, said the US was to blame for making a deal on global warming impossible in Cancun in 2010. Mr. Li said that his government hopes for a binding climate treaty in South Africa in November, 2011.

Mr. Li oversees the international climate change negotiations office at China's National Development and Reform Commission, the agency that steers economy policy. Mr. Li vowed to keep pressing rich countries to promise deeper cuts to carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from human activity.

"The biggest obstacle comes from the United States," he said. "Without any (climate change) legislation, it can't possibly join in a legally binding international document."

China is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases from human activity, but with 1.3 billion people, it is also a developing country with average emissions per capita well below those of wealthy economies.

Mr. Li said Beijing would keep pressing for certain principles, including that developing countries like China should not shoulder the same absolute caps on emissions as rich countries.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.