Thursday, August 7, 2008

A third of China's emissions come from exports

Now that China has become the world's top polluter, and the gray haze surrounding their capital city has become a international spectacle, China has become an easy target for eco-bashing. But just like Mama used to say: when you point your finger at someone else, you've got three pointing back at you. As it turns out, 33% of China's emissions are created by manufacturing those cheap goods that keep the western world's economy pumping.

That's right, 1.7B tonnes of carbon -- equivalent to the emissions of France, Germany, and the UK combined -- is spewed into the atmosphere over China so that the developed world can keep the price of their goods low. And, as we all know, it's not just a bunch of accessories that China is producing these days. Much of the pollution is driven by the manufacture of "advanced electronics" -- like the iPhone.

Now, when we watch the Olympians pole-vaulting in their gas masks, we can think: that's outsourcing in action.

[via Earth2Tech]

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