[tronium]

Is there a reason the magnifying glass is always on the USA to make changes? I'm no climate expert, but last I checked China/India/the rest of SEA and the largest ships generate a large majority of non-natural carbon emissions. Wouldn't it be far more practical to make changes to the couple hundred of large ships running cruises/containers than changing the entire automotive industry?

[beachy]

> Is there a reason the magnifying glass is always on the USA to make changes?

The great majority of countries are too small to make a difference.

Some large countries are too corrupt, or perhaps even stand to benefit from climate change, to make a difference (Russia, middle east).

Some large countries are too poor (relatively, per head of population) to be able to be leaders in climate initiatives (E.g the other BRIC countries).

Many developing countries don't have the technology base to create green energy technology solutions, so can't share in the benefits of selling it to others.

There are only two global powers that are powerful enough and influential enough to move the needle on climate, and not coincidentally, have been at the forefront of plundering our planet for the last couple of centuries and have benefited enormously from their abuse of the commons.

One is the USA. They have a chequered history, but it does include saving the planet once before from an existential threat. That's why people look to the US for leadership.

Unfortunately the US is riven by internal division, and half of the population think that protecting female bathrooms is more important than protecting the atmosphere, and/ or that a mythical being in the sky will fix everything up anyway.

So that leaves only the EU. They are the only hope for humanity. If the EU can get their shit together on climate, then force action on their trading partners, and the US can awaken from their obsessions and fall in behind, then just perhaps we have a chance to stop this runaway train.

[frontman1988]

Per capita emissions of India/China are much lower compared to the US. It's also easier for a developed country to try and lower their emissions than poor/developing countries to do it.

[shmde]

So tired to see this take over and over again in HN. Putting the blame on Asia and developing nations for carbon emissions while

USA pays other nations to dump their garbage. The west/developed countries blames eastern/developing countries for it when in fact they were also responsible for a shitton amount of emissions when they started industrializing their countries and still continue to export wastes/export manufacturing stuff which generates waste.

[reportgunner]

> I'm no climate expert, but last I checked China/India/the rest of SEA and the largest ships generate a large majority of non-natural carbon emissions.

I think it's because USA keep sending them money to make these emissions for them.