Greenhouse Gas Math Problem

The short answer. Those, like John McCain, who want to reduce face a little problem of math. McCain and others want to "reduce carbon emissions in 2050 by 60% of 1990 levels." Here the problem in a few easy steps:

• First, the population growth means the per capita carbon emissions reduction is much less that 60%, closer to 80%.
  
• Carbon emissions mainly come from transportation (about 10-20%) or electricity usage (80-90%) when fossil fuels are burned.
  
• The only way to reduce carbon emissions is to reduce fossil fuel combustion.

1. Ignoring some costs and consequential economic problems, here's what could be done without completely changing your lifestyle (what is suggested for you to do):
   
2. Everyone drive a hybrid - reduce carbon via driving by 50%
   
3. Everyone install solar panels - reduce carbon via electricity by 15%
   
4. Install more wind farms - reduce carbon via electricity by another 5%
   
5. Build more nuclear plants - reduce carbon via electricity by another 20%
   

Okay, so if everything that is suggested is done (ignorning costs) you get at best a 40% reduction. The other 40% must come from demand reduction. Less travel, less air conditioning, etc, will hurt both the economy and the nation's health (remember deaths caused by the heat wave in France?).