Shelley Swoyer
Jefferson City
Dear Editor:
Jim Dyke's cartoon published on Sept. 10 once again tells only part of the story. The cartoon suggests that the United States should not be held accountable for our part in causing climate change, that China's bad behavior is the real problem, and that the U.S. is unfairly blamed for the actions of China, the real culprit. I take issue with this premise for several reasons.
While it is true China currently produces the largest annual amount of CO2 emissions, the U.S. has a much higher rate of emissions per capita or per person. According to World Bank statistics, in terms of CO2 emission per capita, China produces 7.5 metric tons while the U.S. spews out 16.5 metric tons annually. The U.S. also has the highest per capita emissions among countries with similar populations.
The sad truth is that global climate emissions set an all-time high in 2018 after a few years of plateau. Almost all countries are contributing to the rise, with a 4.7 percent increase by China, 2.5 percent by the U.S., and 6.3 percent by India. The EU's emissions are near flat, but that follows 10 years of strong falling rates. We all can do better. We all must do better.
The other pollution piece Dyke ignores is a country's cumulative carbon footprint. This is important because global warming is not caused only by emissions in a current year. Greenhouse gases remain in the atmosphere for 50-200 years so current global warming is still impacted by those greenhouse gases that were released during and after the Industrial Revolution as well as the current ones. The U.S. not only leads the world in cumulative emissions, we have produced double those of second-ranked China.
My biggest disagreement with Dyke, though, is how he frames the issue. The approach to dealing with global warming is not pointing the finger, assigning blame, or feeling smug satisfaction about ourselves. It requires honest assessment, and it must be about finding solutions. We are all in this together, and we will all suffer the effects of climate change no matter what country we live in. One solution is the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, H.R. 763. For more information on how you can become part of the solution, visit www.citizensclimatelobby.org.