Did you know that the United States generates only 12.67% of human-made greenhouse gases (GHG), with the balance generated by all other countries? I sure didn’t, until I went looking for the figure. That’s not much talked about in the media, nor is the fact that at 94%, naturally generated greenhouse gases dwarf human’s contribution of 6%.  So of all greenhouse gases, natural and human-made, the United States generates less than 1% (.76% to be exact).

Now, AGW scientists and advocates quietly acknowledge that it would not be enough for the United States alone to abate its greenhouse gases in order to head off (hypothesized) catastrophic global warming; not even if we stop all our emissions.  But they tell us that we must set a good example to the world so that everyone else will emulate us, give up fossil fuels and thereby prevent a global warming catastrophe.

But how likely are other countries to do so?  Let’s review the list of emitters below.  Setting aside feasibility for a moment, how many other countries on it are at least willing to stop using fossil fuels given the compelling example of the United States doing so?  Canada.  Probably most countries of the EU.

Important to note, though, that Europe and the UK are being rocked by Russia’s sharp reduction in its natural gas delivery. Accordingly, at least one country has notably taken steps back towards fossil fuels and all European countries dependent on Russian natural gas are looking at staggering prices spikes in their electricity.  (Odd; why haven’t they simply cranked up their green energy production to make up for the generating capacity shortfall caused by the withdrawal of Russian gas?)

No other country, certainly none of the other three top-five emitters, China, India and Russia, is taking real steps to shut down on a broad scale their use of a widely-available, reliable fuel source.  In fact, China, the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, continues to ratchet up its use of coal.

We are told, often in the most urgent tone, that most if not all human greenhouse gases must cease if we are going to stop catastrophic global warming.  And while there are models that claim global warming will slow if all or most human-made greenhouse gases cease, there are no models that claim a reduction of 12.67% (or even 21.71%, emissions of the US + EU + Canada) would have even a moderate impact on global warming.

In short, there is no point in the United States giving up one barrel of or one joule generated by fossil fuel because, by the standard set by AGW scientists and advocates themselves, elimination of 12.67% of human emissions wouldn’t get it done.

President Joe Biden, strongly abetted by the silence or outright approval of Congressional Democrats, has paralleled Russia’s fossil fuel strangulation of Europe here in the United States by artificially restricting domestic fossil fuel production. Some states have gone further and, remarkably, passed laws outlawing fossil fuels altogether down the road. Neither the state nor the federal officials who have taken these reckless steps have identified a feasible replacement fuel source.  We have already been experiencing the corresponding spike in the price of fuel, food, goods, electricity, with a jump in heating costs on the near horizon.

Our leaders need to stop, take a breath, and be guided by the analysis of AGW scientists and advocates themselves about the (non)effectiveness of the United States reducing or eliminating its GHG. Europe’s acute electricity and looming home heating crisis as

The benchmark European gas price has soared 550% in the past 12 months

is showing us in real time the stark consequences of moving even further away from fossil fuels without a ready, reliable, reasonably priced alternative in place.

Breakdown by country of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions

(As of 2018.  Excludes naturally-caused greenhouse gases.)

China 26.1%
US 12.67%
EU (27) 7.52%
India 7.08%
Russia 5.36%
Japan 2.5%
Brazil 2.19%
Indonesia 2.03%
Iran 1.74%
Canada 1.52%
“Others” = 31.29%

Source:  World Resources Institute

[Amended 8/30/2022 by addition of second chart, above.]