Dec 19, 2007

CHINA GROWTH SYNDROME: UNSTOPPABLE EMISSIONS

Researchers at the University of California conclude carbon dioxide emissions in China are projected to grow between 11.05% and 13.19% per year for the period 2000-2010 according to this paper What does this mean? I hope you are sitting down because you won't believe this. 

In 2006 China's carbon dioxide emissions contained about 1.70 gigatons of carbon (GtC) (source). By 2010, at the growth rates projected by these researchers the annual emissions from China will be between 2.6 and 2.8 GtC. The growth in China's emissions from 2006-2010 is equivalent to adding the 2004 emissions of Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia to China's 2006 total (source). The emissions growth in China at these rates is like adding another Germany every year, or a UK and Australia together, to global emissions.  Source