Of course, the leading CO2 emitter is the US. That didn't surprise me. But Australia as number two in the world? That's what the Union of Concerned Scientists are saying:
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science/each-countrys-share-of-co2-emissions.html
What's going on here? Am I missing something? According to Wikipedia, the current population of Australia is 20.6 million.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia
Please, to my Aussie friends, I mean no offense.
2006-08-02 17:16:55 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Environment
Koyyalamudi R--Good question. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, "...all sources of fossil fuel burning..." were taken into account for this ranking. For those without a dictionary handy, fossil fuels include petroleum, coal, and natural gas.
In other words natural sources like volcanoes or forest fires were not taken into consideration. Deforestation leads to higher CO2 concentrations, so that's not good (but wasn't figured in here).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas
Methane gas wasn't figured into the equation either.
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science/each-countrys-share-of-co2-emissions.html
Remember, I'm a layman who likes to keep up on science. I am far from having all the answers. Thus, my question appears here. Thanks for your participation.
2006-08-03 06:21:30 · update #1
Most of it comes from generation of electrical energy. The primary energy source for Australia is the burning of coal.
A large proportion then comes from Agriculture which is one of Australia's main exports.
So it has not much to do with direct usage (e.g. cars) which I think is why you asked the question...
2006-08-02 17:29:39 · answer #1 · answered by Foo 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They are probably looking at CO2 emmissions per person...not Total emmissions. Also, The United states is a Huge exporter of goods to the rest of the world. The CO2 emmissions associated with the production of goods here...that are used somewhere else still get labeled as American Emmissions.
A good example of this is our Food Production. Growing crops and raising cattle uses alot of energy...but alot of it is used to feed the rest of the world! But the US citizens get blamed for being wasteful...about a third of our CO2 emmissions here are used to make goods for the rest of the world.
2006-08-02 17:26:02 · answer #2 · answered by FreedomLover 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Australia is an exporter of many products. Australians are very productive. On a per capita basis, they are second in productivity only to the USA. Production releases CO2.
;-D Go Aussies!
2006-08-02 18:02:23 · answer #3 · answered by China Jon 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is it by manmade sources? If it is total then it could be. Most of Green house gases like CO2 generated by natural calamities like eruption of valconos, torching of forests etc. Australia has vast countryside....if it is due to natural then I can believe
2006-08-03 00:55:54 · answer #4 · answered by Koyyalamudi R 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the methan gas is the main co2 cause.
i´ve read something really funny,
there said that animals are important in co2 problem, because of methan gas that they expulse out their bodies(hahahahaah, sorry).
maybe, in australia, animals on there are really gaseous.
when i´ve read it, i couldn´t believe it, but it looks like possible.
so weird!!
2006-08-02 17:26:47 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you ever smelled an Aboriginee pass gas?
2006-08-02 18:40:41 · answer #6 · answered by isaac a 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simple, they fart to much.
2006-08-02 19:58:14 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋