What country what Greece's greenhouse gas emissions effect?

Question

Like most countries Greece emits greenhouse gases. I am just wondering which countries would be impacted the most from this. Any additional information would be appreciated.
Thanks

Answer 1

The short answer to your question is that the environmental effects of Greece's greenhouse gas emissions are widely spread over the entire planet, rather than concentrated over nearby areas, as would be true with conventional pollutants. To understand why, it may be useful to understand the differences between greenhouse gases and more conventional pollutants.

Conventional pollutants are what people usually think of as pollution - dirty or toxic chemicals that have a direct negative effect on the environment. They result from impurities in fuels or inefficient combustion. Because of this, such pollution can often be reduced by using cleaner fuels or more efficient combustion. Most conventional pollutants stay in the atmosphere for a relatively short time (hours, days, or weeks), so their environmental effects tend to be concentrated over regional areas immediately downwind of their source.

The primary greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2), is not a conventional pollutant. It is non-toxic, and it's environmental effects, while significant, are indirect. Unlike conventional pollutants, CO2 is a fundamental byproduct of the combustion process, so it is not possible to reduce emissions by simply using cleaner fuels or more efficient combustion. CO2 stays in the atmosphere for decades, so CO2 emissions eventually become well mixed in the atmosphere, and thus it's effects are long-term and spread widely around the planet.

(An example: A coal-burning power plant in Greece would emit both conventional pollutants (mercury, SO2, etc), plus the greenhouse gas CO2. Mercury is toxic, but it is also heavy, so it falls out of the atmosphere quickly, and so it's effects would be mostly local (Greece and vicinity). SO2 causes acid rain, and it would travel further in the atmosphere, so it's affects would be a bit more widespread (Turkey, Iran, Southern Russia, etc). CO2, however, stays in the atmosphere for decades, plenty long enough for it's effects to spread evenly around the entire planet.)

CO2's main effect on the environment is indirect, via it's role in regulating the earth's radiation balance. The balance of incoming radiation from the Sun and outgoing infrared radiation from the Earth's surface is the main determinant of the Earth's average temperature. CO2 affects this balance, because it is transparent to incoming solar radiation, but absorbs a portion of the outgoing infra-red radiation which would otherwise escape to space. Increasing amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere, therefore, cause the Earth to retain more energy than it would otherwise, thus shifting the energy balance towards higher temperatures.

Although in the public arena, CO2 is often discussed right alongside conventional pollutants, the problem of CO2 emissions is really quite different, and more difficult, than the problem of what people traditionally think of as pollution.

Answer 2

I would think Greece would be impacted the most by their own emissions.