In search of a fair green logic

Take a look at Earth at Night 2001 in NASA Scientific Visualization Studio Collection on the Internet and you will see some areas of the Earth awash with lights. They include a huge part of Europe, eastern US and Japan. The dark and darker areas are the central parts of South America, and Africa and Asia. The difference between developed and developing countries is visible even at night. And please be reminded this difference in the use of energy is not a 21st century phenomenon; it has existed since the 18th century.

If we consider the three industrial revolutions brought about by the steam engine, electricity and IT, it becomes clear the developed countries have used (and are using) far greater amounts of energy than the developing ones.

Energy helps to produce goods and improves productivity. But the use of energy also causes greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. Data show the developed world emitted 95 percent of the total global GHG between the Industrial Revolution and 1950. Between 1950 and 2000, however, its share fell to 77 percent.