China is now the largest emitter of CO2 on the planet, as it powers a large industrial base primarily through the use of coal-fired power plants. However, many of those goods are immediately shipped overseas, often to the US and EU, which generate and use power far more efficiently. A new paper, which will be published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science, now takes a look at the impact of outsourcing these carbon emissions by tracking CO2 based on a product's point of use. For some Western European economies, the result is enormous: anywhere from 20 to 50 percent of their emissions come in the form of imported goods.
I for one, am shocked, shocked, to find out that environmental regulations in the West actually cost us jobs, and perversely enough, increase the level of CO2 emissions because goods are now manufactured in areas will less efficient power generation, and now have to account for emissions from transportation.
