The Optimistic Futurist: Putting a cap (and trade) on emissions
In 1950, there were 2.5 billion people on Earth. Forty years
later, in 1990, that number doubled to more than 5 billion. By
2010, just 20 years later, we are at almost 7 billion.
Scientists tell us that the population of the Earth is likely to
grow from its current 7 billion to 8 billion in seven years — by
2020. And one in three people walking around will be Indian or
Chinese. Energy use by a U.S. citizen in 2010 was roughly 24
times that of a citizen of India, and seven times more than a
Chinese citizen. India and China are on their way to developing
a middle class, members of which use more energy than poor
people. As emerging countries ramp up their energy production,
they make more pollution. For example, recent headlines estimate
a five-year reduction in life expectancy in China due to air
pollution. And that impact is not limited to inside their
borders. In 2010, roughly one-third of all air pollution in San
Francisco came from China — a n