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Climate talks struggle with gap between rich, poor nations

25 Comments
By SETH BORENSTEIN AND ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL

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25 Comments
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continuing life as we know it on the planet versus supporting and enabling China

pick one

-11 ( +4 / -15 )

On one side of the gap are nations that developed and became rich from the Industrial Revolution fueled by coal, oil and gas that started in the U.K. On the other side are the nations that haven't developed yet and haven't gotten rich and are now being told those fuels are too dangerous for the planet.

Another side are the OPEC nations and oil companies and crony politicians in the first world nations . 70s oil embargoes created stagflation and unemployment and the end of years of postwar broad-based prosperity with high corporate taxes and rising salaries.

Unions collapsed, salaries stagnated, leading to the 40 years of neo-liberal policies we have been experiencing and all of its effects.

To forge compromise, they have a big gap to bridge. Or more accurately, multiple gaps: there's a trust gap and a wealth gap. A north-south gap. It's about money, history and the future.

Yes climate change and its effects are all about a wealth gap.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

Emission of CO2 is controllable by people. I am not opposed to it and do it as much as possible not affecting poor countries very much - we have to extend help to them. But I am more concerned about activities of Sun. The earth repeated hot and cold periods in its long history. There was a time the earth was all covered with ice and a time when ocean was drying up. That is uncontrollable by us.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Is Japan still considered a 'rich' economic country?

3 ( +9 / -6 )

well, at least the US is participating. I would call that relative progress, even though it's far, far from enough.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

And Kishida who "pledged" to become a leader in Asia is nowhere to be seen.

13 ( +15 / -2 )

While China is now the No. 1 carbon polluter and India is No. 3, carbon dioxide stays in the air for centuries. Based on historical emissions - the stuff still in the atmosphere trapping heat = the United States and European nations are most responsible for climate change, Hohne said.

Did you read that last part about USA and Europe?

That's a fact.

USA and Europe also hold all the cards. If they wanted true progress the world would have to follow as always.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

Japan’s current PM Kishida dashed in & out at a big expense to taxpayers. Yet, within Japan, the world’s 3rd-largest economy, +15% remain in poverty. Japan’s population: 126,466,402 citizens. That means 18,969,960 people exist below the poverty line: all hungry & malnourished, poorly-paid part-time workers, unemployed or disabled.

*- @Erik Morales 7:17am: “Is Japan still considered a 'rich' economic country?*

*- @dbsaiya 7:27am: “And Kishida who "pledged" to become a leader in Asia is nowhere to be seen.”*

5 ( +9 / -4 )

continuing life as we know it on the planet versus supporting and enabling China

It’s about the world and not China. If we lived simpler, we’d require less and cause less damage.

On one side of the gap are nations that developed and became rich from the Industrial Revolution fueled by coal, oil and gas that started in the U.K. 

Where would we be without steam engines, oil and gas? Industrialization produces carbon footprint. All countries and end users who have benefitted from new technology are responsible; not just the manufacturers and producers of the technology of wealthy nations.

While China is now the No. 1 carbon polluter and India is No. 3, carbon dioxide stays in the air for centuries. Based on historical emissions - the stuff still in the atmosphere trapping heat = the United States and European nations are most responsible for climate change, Hohne said.

China is the top nation in terms of manufacturing output. Nations around the world ask and pay China to manufacture for them. They sacrifice their clean air in order to do so; the pollution from manufacturing that would have been in our countries along with jobs is also moved offshore. If your prefecture is the top manufacturing prefecture, you will have more carbon footprint. Our air is cleaner because it is less industrial. we should be more grateful.

Using clean energy or reducing manufacturing should be emphasized rather than citing which country pollutes more. If manufacturing in China were all distributed to different countries, nothing would change if the source of energy is still from coal.

Pollution increases because we want more. It’ll decrease if we don’t require more.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Japan's GDP is around 5 Trillion for the past 3 decades of stagnation since the Plaza Accord was signed. 30+ years.

Europe and USA GDP have exploded to over 22 Trillion each. USA has almost 5x Japan's economy.

USA and Europe, India and China are the main countries that polluted the most. Also the economies that rise the most while Japan has been stagnate.

I want Japan to help and contribute but the main heavy lifters should be the countries mention above.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

When Japan buys industrial supplies from China, is Japan not responsible at all?

You only want to use the products but you blame the US, China, and Europe manufactures for the pollution from producing the products you buy.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

Japan's GDP is around 5 Trillion for the past 3 decades of stagnation since the Plaza Accord was signed. 30+ years.

Europe and USA GDP have exploded to over 22 Trillion each. USA has almost 5x Japan's economy.

So the failed monetary policies of the Bank of Japan over the last 30 years has contributed less to world pollution and should be recognized?

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Pollution increases because we want more. It’ll decrease if we don’t require more.

what you require more like what you want, not what you need. Food and shelter and necessities are needs. Economic output from China are wants

You could live just fine before China ramped up. To make it seem like China is a necessity is why were are in this mess

1 ( +2 / -1 )

USA and Europe and Canada as well for that matter, but if we cannot stop the #1 polluter on the planet then there is no more planet, for us anyway

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

To summarize : give us your money.

Seems none of it has anything to do with actually taking care of the planet.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

So what? There will ALWAYS be rich and poor nations.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Giving a bunch of money to the king of Zambia so he can buy a fleet of Mercedes and build a private water park will definitely help stop climate change.

Nothing but a shakedown.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

I thought Japan said they will print hundreds of billions of yen to help the poorer countries.....Or was that another lie?

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

snowymountainhell

The numbers of people who have the net assets of more than JPY10 million; (not household)

China 113 million

USA 103

Japan 55

Germany, UK, France 25~26

https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOCB30C350Q1A430C2000000/

Japan has become poor gradually, however, there are still many small rich people. Therefore, the J-gov. may think they can charge more money to us.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The problem with poor countries is that the majority of them are poor because of corruption and inadequate governments. Giving them money is just a waste and will have mostly negative impact.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Without that gap, now all billions of people would be poor, having eaten up all wildlife, overfished all seas, cut all trees and burnt them into CO2 with open fires or used for housing. But it seems, that’s the unified world scenario those woke climate ‘savers’ and politicians have in store for us on their agenda. Can they stand it then themselves too?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Thanks to globalism and industrialization, poverty around the world has decreased. Extreme poverty rates have been cut in half over the past 3 decades, and continue to fall. It is unreasonable to expect people in poor countries to just shut up and stay in their grass huts while the climate elite jet around and do their performative theatrical gestures once a year.

In the end though, I sense a shakedown coming. Blame the rich countries for being rich and causing pollution, next demand compensation. Climate reparation payments will be on the agenda soon, mark my words.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Consuming less is the answer and leaving the private jet at home helps too…

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Science has revealed that this universe has been changing. Remember ice age? Remember dinosaurs? The universe is alive and powerful. We cannot solve the climate change. We can adjust to adapt to climate change. Nature is bigger than you and I. There are other things we have to deal with that contribute to pollution. So many volcanos are erupting . That alone is causing gases to change our climate! The sun’s flares too! So yes - climate change is here - but the problem is more than just gas emissions- bigger are what I have mentioned which cause a lot of damage.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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