Opinion
- Editorial- Commentary
Trinidad
Express: A cause for reflection
Editorial
It is perhaps just as well as the Business Express
Energy Correspondent has clearly and dispassionately
put in perspective the profound difference between
per capita production of greenhouse gases and total
carbon emissions by countries. It is very easy
for the uninformed to use per capita figures to
paint this country in a bad light as a contributor
to global warming and climate change.
There are, of course, different sources of carbon
emission estimates and there is no doubt that the
very large populations will inevitably produce
larger totals of carbon dioxide than minute populations,
regardless of the state of their respective economies.
This country, for example, although having one
of the highest per capita carbon dioxide production
levels, reported by different sources at different
levels in the top ten in the world, produces 33
million tonnes per year while the United States,
showing a lower per capita level produces 5900
million tonnes, or about 0.6 per cent of the output
of that country.
If one includes the other large economies, including
those of China and India, it is impossible to challenge
in any way the observation made by the chairman
of the Environmental Management Authority that
Trinidad and Tobago produces a minute fraction
of total world emissions, an observation also made
by the CEO of the EMA at parliamentary hearings
last year.
But, Dr Agard has also raised the moral issue related
to carbon emissions that each country must face,
an issue we referred to on World Environment
Day when we asked - is this an example that we
would apply to the rest of humanity?
If every country emitted carbon dioxide at the
rate that we do, will the planet end up a Venusian
atmosphere where the oceans boil away? We assure
readers that the issue raised by Dr Agard is not
a trivial one but important in geopolitics, and
one on which this country must have some position
to be articulated internationally.
That the issue is of importance may be seen as
the statements that have recently come from environmental
authorities of the government of India rejecting
G8 calls for curbs on emissions. India will not
do anything that will reduce its current eight
per cent economic growth rate, essential to alleviation
of widespread poverty in that country.
The substance of India's position is simply that
that country must be allowed to emit greenhouse
gases at the same per capita levels as those of
the developed world. It is essentially the same
position taken by the United States - that their
economy must not suffer. And remember that India's
population continues to grow and will probably
level out at 1.5 billion by the middle of the present
century. As we suggested earlier, let's reflect
on the issue.
The
Trinidad Express is one
of Trinidad Newspaper. Petroleumworld
not necessarily share these views.
Editor's
Note: This article was first publish in Trinidad
Express, Saturday, June 16th 2007. Petroleumworld
reprint this article in the interest of our readers.
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Petroleumworld
24/06/07
Copyright ©2006
Mary King . All Rights Reserved.
