Earth Equity News

Chinese People Reject Beijing's Position on Emissions. By Steven Kull and Doug Miller, Pasadena Star-News, May 13, 2008. "A new University of California study says that China has overtaken the U.S. as the largest emitter of [carbon dioxide]... China's defense is that it is still growing its economy and that on a per-capita basis it still produces less than a fifth of what the U.S. [does]... A 2007 BBC World Service Poll... found that the Chinese public rejects its government's position that it has no responsibility to limit its emissions... Majorities of both Chinese (70%) and Americans (59%) agree that... 'it is necessary to take major steps [to mitigate climate change] starting very soon.' They are also ready to take tough steps... But how to address the fact that there is still this imbalance between the developed and developing countries? Here again the publics in China and America agree on a way out."