Trump Drone
I’m not saying the Paris Agreement is some fantastic silver bullet. I was just pointing out how your misrepresentation was self-contradictory.
And of course you are still misrepresenting China’s efforts. They didn’t offer to do nothing for 15 years. In total, China invested three times as much money into alternative energy as the US did last year. Per capita that comes out to slightly less money per person, but if we’re going to compare per capita then it’s relevant to point out that their per capita emissions are still less than half of ours. Last year nearly half of the world’s investment into alternative energy came from China. They have been and continue to build nuclear power plants, making up more than half of the world’s new nuclear investment. Hydropower is currently their largest alternative energy source and they continue to develop that as well, unlike us. They are positioning themselves to be an energy superpower in the future and we are not. Now, is China all roses and sunshine? No. Could and should they do more? Yes. But the same is true of everyone.
Like I said earlier, the targets are largely meaningless. Actions are what count. In reality, what would be the difference between hard targets like Kyoto and the voluntary contribution/peer pressure system of the Paris Agreement? Brazil’s largest trade partner is the EU. Many thought Bolsonaro would go the way of Trump but when the EU threatened to cancel their free trade agreement he got in line. Of course, it’s still early and we’ll see what happens there. But imo there is not much difference in practice between hard targets with penalties and soft targets with peer pressure.
Anyway, thanks for offering up
something. I’ll patiently wait on the details of that “better deal” from the Trump Administration.
