How can we convince the majority of the people in the world to lower their Fossil Fuels consumption?

Question

How can we make everybody(Or a majority) in the world to stop using and wasting so much Fossil Fuels and Poluting the world with Co2 Gases every single day of their lives, do you believe that there will possibly be backlash to this action in "third-world" countries?

Most People who I know of who live in these "third-world" countries are quite poor and have no choice but to do such, burning their trash, use extremly 'polutive' vehicles to go o their minimum wage jobs, so, question is, How? How can we convince them to stop depleting so much fuel?

Oh and, yes I've put this question in goverment, so I just tried to move it to here, so I apologize.

Answer 1

Third world countries are very minor producers of CO2 compared to the industrial west. By far the worst offender both gross and per capita is the US. So if we cannot persuade the US to change, why bother at all? They will take us all down with them.

And the US administration at least has its head firmly in the sands. Even though it now concedes warming is occuring, it believes there is a technological silver bullet out there. This is like wishing on a star or relying on the power of prayer.

Ultimately, I think there is very little hope of achieving change. Ultimately high prices will have an affect (oil prices are likely to continue to rise indefinitely now, because it is clear that supplies are at least half used). But until then...

Answer 2

Don't worry about the third world for now because the United States is the biggest problem. The United States with about 5% of the world's population creates about 25% of the CO2. Europeans release about half as much as Americans per person. The rest of the world on average releases about 1/7th as much CO2 per person as Americans.

If Americans could just get down to European levels that would reduce carbon emissions world wide by 12%. If Americans and Europeans could get down to third world levels that would reduce CO2 emissions by over 30%!

The great thing about Americans working on our own problems is that our solutions can then be used by others in the third world.

How can we convince Americans to lower our fossil fuel use? Eliminate the income tax and replace it with a carbon tax that collects the same amount of money. That keeps total taxes the same but makes folks who use the most fossil fuel pay the most tax. If they want to cut their taxes they must cut their fossil fuel use. I think that would create a lot of interest in ways to reduce fossil fuel use. As fossil fuel use starts to fall the tax structure slowly shifts back to an income tax to keep total tax revenue the same.

Answer 3

We as Citizens of the United States should slow down on our consumption of fossil fulls and start using hydrogen and ethanol. The world tends to follow the US. Like in the 70's skateboarding became popular in the US it started to become popular in other countries as well. I'm not saying the US is the only country that the world follows , like France invented the recoil system for the cannon in WW2 and everyone followed their idea. What i am saying is that the US has a big impact on what the world dose and uses.

Answer 4

We have to find acceptable alternative fuel sources. And not just for energy use, but cleaner products as well. Think of all the pollution and land fill being created by the plastics industry. Not just in the sense of those annoying shopping bags but think of the plastic in our cars and toxins in our computers. There is so much to be done. I think most people just find it easier to ignore. At the end of the day with out government forcing industry to act responsibly, and industry to give consumers little to no option other than to act responsibly it won't happen. We are just to lazy.

OK. Off soap box now

Answer 5

Ya' gotta lead from the front.Despite what the media shows us,most people want the cool things we have.They want to have the most modern things,once they get past the three meals a day and a roof over their heads.
If we start using bicycles,busses,and promoting the use of renewable resources,the third world will follow the lead,as long as it's in their economic interest.It's cheaper to use the wind to make electricity than coal.It's cheaper to use thousands of small hydro-power plants than to burn peat,oil shale,or coal.Act locally,think globally.

Answer 6

As one of the biggest users of fossil fuels the USA should take the lead in developing new power systems.We have the technology, but everyone worries about "the bottom line". If we lead the rest will follow!

Answer 7

We can't. Fortunately for the human race we will be running out in this century according to the scientists.

Answer 8

The price will have to be increased until it is prohibitive, and there will have to be rewards for use of other means of transportation.

Answer 9

don't worry it will run out soon enough anyway

Answer 10

niccccee