The NYT reported that China and India both signed an agreement to limit their greenhouse gas emissions. The article cites unnamed analysts who complained that the new commitment by China and India falls short of the terms of the agreement. The article neglected to mention that on a per person basis China emits about one quarter as much greenhouse gases as the United States, while India emits around one-eighth as much. It is impossible to understand these countries' positions on this issue without recognizing how much less they contribute to global warming than people in the United States. They will not agree to permanently hold their emissions below U.S. levels without compensation and the U.S. lacks the ability to force them. In other words, people who care about global warming should want the U.S. to pay China and India to limit their greenhouse gas emissions. Those who don't want to see such transfers are just wasting everyone's time.
--Dean Baker
