Climate Questions: Who are the big emitters?
By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer - Yesterday 8:04 AM
Who made the global warming mess the world is now in? More than half of the world’s heat-trapping gases comes from three places: The United States, China and Europe.
And it piles up quickly at more than 2.5 million pounds (1.1 million kilograms) per second.
Once heat trapping gases get into the atmosphere, the effects are global. Trapping the sun’s energy doesn’t stop at national borders. But scientists can track where the gases come from and thus who is responsible.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is part of an ongoing series answering some of the most fundamental questions around climate change, the science behind it, the effects of a warming planet and how the world is addressing it.
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Even though carbon dioxide is light and invisible, the amount put in the air by the world’s nations through the burning of coal, oil and gas and the making of cement adds up to massive numbers. Since 1959, the world has spewed 1.55 trillion tons (1.41 trillion metric tons) of carbon dioxide, according to Global Carbon Project, a group of scientists who track emissions and publish in peer review scientific journals.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/climate-questions-who-are-the-big-emitters/ar-AA13oADg?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=065385c7dfc946bd8349a7d009a13e70
