The United States might be surprised to learn that it is not a developed country according to the Prime Minister of Australia.
At a Canberra press conference today Julia Gillard repeated the myth that Australia is the highest per capita emitter of greenhouse gases in the developed world.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Centre U.S. emissions from 1990-2007, at 18.9 tonnes per capita, were higher than Australia’s, at 17.9 million tonnes.
Senator Boswell said Qatar (55.4) the United Arab Emirates (31.1) Kuwait (30.2) Bahrain (29.6) and Brunei (19.8) might be just as surprised as Luxembourg (22.8) to learn that they are not regarded by the Prime Minister as “developed.”
“It’s clear Australia is certainly among the highest per capita emitters in the world because we happen to have vast reserves of fossil fuels, as does the U.S., and as do the Gulf states,” Senator Boswell said.
“But our ranking is not so much a reflection of profligate use of energy as using what have been our natural fuel sources.
“France, and Britain, for example, would probably still be right up there with us, the U.S. and the Gulf states, among others, if they hadn’t run out of coal a long time ago.
“France now generates almost 80% of its power from nuclear, and Britain turned to nuclear, gas, and renewables – not to save the planet, but because they had no alternative.
“The government’s spin on these issues is ridiculous.”
ENDS