Climate Duties
A few developed countries do most greenhouse gas emissions but the effects of these gasses are shared equally around the world and even at times developing countries are the ones that suffer the most (Harris, 2010). In the year currently, the top emitters of greenhouse gasses are the United States with 16.5 emissions per capita followed by China (developing country) with 7.6 per capita and the European Union with 6.7 per capita. A total of ten largest greenhouse gas emitters accounts for 68.2 % of the total emissions in the world. Indicates that a few developed countries cause significant climate change that affects countries with a minimum emission of gases. Although, I have a personal obligation to curb my emissions in virtue of being part of a society that has disproportionally benefited from economic activity that generated Carbon dioxide but, this will not bring any changes to the environmental problems because my emissions alone cannot have a significant effect on climate change. I agree with Armstrong (2005) that the emissions of an individual are insignificant to climate change. If I reduce my emissions, other people, and even countries will still be emitting, and I will not …show more content…
He argues that if a single person decides to reduce his emissions, the whole society will regard him as a role model. He argues that human beings learn from each other and if one reduces his emissions, other people will follow him as a role model and soon all the people will reduce their emissions. In my bid to set a good example, I can curb my emissions. It might act as an eye opener to other individuals to reduce their emissions as well. Although this might help, it cannot be efficient enough since people are different, and they cannot think in the same way. This kind of scenario, in my view, can only happen in a utopian
A few developed countries do most greenhouse gas emissions but the effects of these gasses are shared equally around the world and even at times developing countries are the ones that suffer the most (Harris, 2010). In the year currently, the top emitters of greenhouse gasses are the United States with 16.5 emissions per capita followed by China (developing country) with 7.6 per capita and the European Union with 6.7 per capita. A total of ten largest greenhouse gas emitters accounts for 68.2 % of the total emissions in the world. Indicates that a few developed countries cause significant climate change that affects countries with a minimum emission of gases. Although, I have a personal obligation to curb my emissions in virtue of being part of a society that has disproportionally benefited from economic activity that generated Carbon dioxide but, this will not bring any changes to the environmental problems because my emissions alone cannot have a significant effect on climate change. I agree with Armstrong (2005) that the emissions of an individual are insignificant to climate change. If I reduce my emissions, other people, and even countries will still be emitting, and I will not …show more content…
He argues that if a single person decides to reduce his emissions, the whole society will regard him as a role model. He argues that human beings learn from each other and if one reduces his emissions, other people will follow him as a role model and soon all the people will reduce their emissions. In my bid to set a good example, I can curb my emissions. It might act as an eye opener to other individuals to reduce their emissions as well. Although this might help, it cannot be efficient enough since people are different, and they cannot think in the same way. This kind of scenario, in my view, can only happen in a utopian