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Language: en

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"Climate change is a major global
challenge. But climate change is not of

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our making. It is the result of a global
warming that came from the prosperity

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and progress of an industrial age
powered by fossil fuel." Developed and

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developing countries disagree sharply
about who is responsible for climate

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change and for combating it.
Industrialization, a process through

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which enormous amounts of greenhouse
gases are emitted, is at the center of

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this debate. Developed countries, which
industrialized over a century ago, have

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produced most of the world's cumulative
carbon dioxide emissions. In fact, the U.S.

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has produced nearly 30% of all emissions
since 1850. Because of this legacy,

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leaders in some developing countries
argue that countries like the United

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States should take the lead on fighting
climate change. Developing countries, on

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the other hand, are now industrializing.
Already India and China are among the

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world's top annual emitters. Leaders in
some developed countries argue that

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climate change is a global problem and
fighting it requires everyone's

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participation, even if that means
abandoning certain aspects of

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development. "We seek an agreement that makes sure developing nations have the

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resources they need to skip the dirty
phase of development if they're willing

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to do their part." But to many, the idea
that certain countries can benefit

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economically from industrialization
while preventing similar gains elsewhere

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is hypocritical. "Democratic India must grow rapidly to make the aspirations of 1.25 billion

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people, 300 million of whom are without access

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to energy." Yet another way to view the
responsibility debate is by looking at

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per capita emissions. India has a
population 20 times larger than the

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United Kingdom. But the British produce
four times more emissions per person.

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It's also important to note that many
developed countries achieve their high

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living standards and their high
emissions contributions in part by

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exploiting resources abroad, often in the
same countries that are now trying to

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develop and industrialize. Despite these
different perspectives, virtually every

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country in the world signed the Paris
Agreement because no matter how you sort

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the data, climate change affects everyone.