Thanks for moving it!

Actually, this is more about resources than it is about emissions, but it all ties together.

The lifeboats with the most people should get more drinking water, all else being equal, but no one else has any right to wash their hair with water from my boat. China should get a larger final share of the energy/emissions than anyone else, in proportion to their population. On the other hand, if China's per capita consumption and emissions exceed everyone else's then they haven't got a leg to stand on and need to clean up their act.

The idea that China "should" get a larger share implies that there is some rationing authority on all this. Western technology is why there's a "share" of petroenergy in the first place.

But that's neither here nor there. The overriding issue is that there are billions of people out there who would really, really like to live like Americans live. What's wrong with that? Who's going to tell them they have to stay out in their rice paddies so they can sell rich Westerners carbon indulgences?

It's all about energy. With enough power, you can make the other things you need to support such a civilization. Power can make hydrogen out of water, fresh water out of salt, and fuel out of things that aren't fuel.

With billions of people wanting this, arguing about who "deserves" the energy isn't going to make much difference. Things like higher-mileage cars and fluorescent light bulbs are going to be lost in the noise.

We have to come up with more energy, and a lot of it. And it had better start being from something besides oil and gas.

The main short-term solution for heavy users is nuclear. Fortunately, all those nations currently shaping up as the major energy hogs are already in the nuclear club, and mostly rational about it. I'd love to see solar make a major breakthrough--I'd much rather see cheap solar panels all over the Third World than have everyone else building their own nuclear reactors. It's also going to be able to contribute a lot in more advanced nations. Like I often say, every watt coming off someone's roof is a watt that doesn't have to come from a power plant.

I have some hopes for fusion, but wouldn't bet any money on it.