Question

Burning fuels in power plants or motor vehicles emit carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming. Table 1.3 displays CO2 emissions per person from countries with populations of at least 20 mil.

Why do you think we choose to measure emissions per person rather than CO2 emissions for each country?

I know this is a really simple question, but for some reason I just don't get it. My guess for why they do it per person would be because they want to see how much each person contributes in a country, rather than how much the country is in total? I don't really get why this is being asked because I feel like measuring emission per person or country is both good...

Answer 1

Is it also because it may vary exactly how many million people live in a country, so taking the average per person is a lot easier to compare than average per country?

Answer 2

If you talk about the average <I>per person</I>, how do you think this would effect individuals' feeling of responsibility for CO2 emissions?

I hope this helps.

Answer 3

Oh yeah, I forgot about that! Per person definitely puts it in a more personal perspective. I just wasn't sure if this question is looking for a more common sense or mathematical answer.