aspher
16-11-07, 11:14 PM
Australia is the worst polluter in the world per capita, according to a new international study.
The Washington-based Centre for Global Development says Australian power plants produce 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person each year - five times as much as China and 20 times as much as India.
According to the report, Australia came seventh overall on a list of the top 50 countries by carbon dioxide-emitting power sectors, with 226 million tonnes.
But it came in ahead of many countries with larger populations and "on a per capita basis, Australians are some of the largest CO2 emitters in the world, producing more than 11 tonnes of power sector CO2 emissions per person per year", the report said.
The US, the world's largest overall CO2 emitter, emits nine tonnes per person each year, it said.
Global warming has become a key issue in Australia's upcoming election and Kevin Rudd, the opposition leader tipped to become the next prime minister, has promised to ratify the Kyoto treaty on climate change.
On Thursday, just hours after the report was published, Greenpeace protesters stormed a power plant north of Sydney and chained themselves to machinery to draw attention to the issue.
"We demonstrated what this country needs to do - close those coal-fired power stations and use cleaner energy," organiser Stephen Campbell, a protest organiser, said.
Fifteen protesters were arrested and charges of trespass and malicious damage were expected to be laid against them.
The power plant's operators said generating operations were not affected by the protest.
--Source: http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4A2653CC-5DA8-4173-B497-B3D5B1199A88.htm
The Washington-based Centre for Global Development says Australian power plants produce 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person each year - five times as much as China and 20 times as much as India.
According to the report, Australia came seventh overall on a list of the top 50 countries by carbon dioxide-emitting power sectors, with 226 million tonnes.
But it came in ahead of many countries with larger populations and "on a per capita basis, Australians are some of the largest CO2 emitters in the world, producing more than 11 tonnes of power sector CO2 emissions per person per year", the report said.
The US, the world's largest overall CO2 emitter, emits nine tonnes per person each year, it said.
Global warming has become a key issue in Australia's upcoming election and Kevin Rudd, the opposition leader tipped to become the next prime minister, has promised to ratify the Kyoto treaty on climate change.
On Thursday, just hours after the report was published, Greenpeace protesters stormed a power plant north of Sydney and chained themselves to machinery to draw attention to the issue.
"We demonstrated what this country needs to do - close those coal-fired power stations and use cleaner energy," organiser Stephen Campbell, a protest organiser, said.
Fifteen protesters were arrested and charges of trespass and malicious damage were expected to be laid against them.
The power plant's operators said generating operations were not affected by the protest.
--Source: http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4A2653CC-5DA8-4173-B497-B3D5B1199A88.htm