It's absolutely true, but put this way, it lends an argument towards force-subjugating the entire planet under one government just to end the bickering about fairness. Global warming isn't fair.
What I'd honestly want to see happening instead is developed nations doubling down on greentech, and donating all of that (+ expertise and IP) to developing nations, so that the latter can leapfrog the CO₂-intensive energy generation methods. After all, the developing nations aren't into greenhouse emissions for the sake of greenhouse emissions - they just want to have the same level of prosperity for their people as the West enjoys. So I say we should just give them the means to achieve that without burning fossil fuels, for free - and screw intellectual property and some perceived "fairness". This is a global problem, we're all in this together.
There is no “greentech” that mitigates the environmental damage of the luxury everyone wants, which is space. And no one with kids is going to voluntarily accept living in cramped apartments while other countries have individual houses on lots.
Increased space per person => increased fossil fuel usage => increased emissions.
Maybe the greatest “greentech” would be dissuading having kids, either culturally or economically.
I’m not sure everyone considers space the top luxury. Just look at most Asian/European metropolises: people are happy to sacrifice space for other luxuries.
Wouldn't read that much from it. They're likely sacrificing space because they have little other choice (Japan, HK?), or because cities are where the good jobs are.
> And no one with kids is going to voluntarily accept living in cramped apartments while other countries have individual houses on lots.
Families with children all over the world have been accepting that. The urbanization of the developing world is mainly people moving from villages where they had their own home (or at least a family compound) to cities where they live in modern blocks at best, shantytowns at worst. Once the first generation gets installed in that modern block, successive generations simply accept living in a block as normal – yes, some might dream of their own home on their own land, but that is regarded as something available only to a select few, not a mainstream thing.
Space means more miles driven, more ground paved with cement/concrete/asphalt, more distance water/electricity/gas/sewage/trash has to be pushed.
The amount of (developed) land a person uses is a rough proxy for quality of life in the developed world, and it is afforded by ignoring the long term externalities of fossil fuels.
Obviously everyone wants a detached single family house with a garage and a couple cars and a backyard for their kids and a few flights every year for the family, but if the environment is buckling with such a small portion of the population enjoying these benefits, there is no chance everyone can.
Overall consumption needs to go down, which means lower consumption per person, and/or fewer persons.
There are ways to do it. Sometimes you just need the tech to exist and you just need to drive down the price. Subsidies to build solar have done a great job in that respect.
It's just not enough until it becomes crazy cheap, though. You have to be way better than fossil fuels to match up because of their advantages.
And no one has the power for global subjugation. No single group of currently allied nations has that power. So that's a safe thing. It simply can't happen. I doubt America could even subjugate Mexico, which is next door.
What I'd honestly want to see happening instead is developed nations doubling down on greentech, and donating all of that (+ expertise and IP) to developing nations, so that the latter can leapfrog the CO₂-intensive energy generation methods. After all, the developing nations aren't into greenhouse emissions for the sake of greenhouse emissions - they just want to have the same level of prosperity for their people as the West enjoys. So I say we should just give them the means to achieve that without burning fossil fuels, for free - and screw intellectual property and some perceived "fairness". This is a global problem, we're all in this together.