This square needs only involve one word – China. Sometimes that’s all there is to it. No appeal, no nothing. Just China. This page also applies to “but India.” Any other country would do {1}.
When facing a claim about ineffective solutions, ask for tangible suggestions to improve our current international pickle. Air pollution from fossil fuel kills millions of people each year. There is an incentive to move away from it besides AGW. While there are merits in watching the alpha, we are still in it together, and every effort counts.
Examples
If climate change is an existential threat do you support crippling economic sanctions and/or military strikes on China?
(NoahP)
Climate is a dead issue. China and India and N Korea brought us all over the line. We need to work on survivability.
(DavidS)
Objections and Replies
BAU. China is allowed to do business as usual—
☞ Incorrect. China has pledges and targets. One may argue they’re insufficient, however. This may not imply what you make it imply.
Empire. China can do anything, nobody can stop the empire—
☞ Are you praying for a One World Government Force, by any chance?
Most emission. China which emits most CO2 emission on the world—
☞ It actually emits 30% of the emissions. Meanwhile 40 countries emit more per capita. For instance, a Murican citizen emits twice as much as a Chinese.
No plan. China has no plan to reduce—
☞ False. Its 14th Five-Pear Plan has set legally binding targets to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
Polluters. Start with the biggest polluters first—
☞ Behind your computer, you consume more energy than the average person on this planet. Also, bear in mind the average American uses three times as much energy as someone in China.
Small. My country is small and has zero impact—
☞ Every molecule counts. Every effort helps more effort. We are all in this together.
Notes
{1} Otters. Playful but mercurial creatures that has become a meme based on a pun with “other.” Othering is uncool. Don’t do it.
Resources
2021-03; China’s net zero future
2019-10; Car Talk.
2017? Has China’s coal use peaked? Here’s how to read the tea leaves
Readings
2020-10; Quantifying national responsibility for climate breakdown: an equality-based attribution approach for carbon dioxide emissions in excess of the planetary boundary. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30196-0
ClimateBall 