The 10 countries most pollute the planet; Where is Mexico located?

No country is spared from global warming. Its effects are increasingly extreme: more tornadoes, longer frosts, droughts, and violent off-season fires are some of the consequences of continued human activity.

As part of celebrating Earth Day, we’ve counted the countries that pollute the planet’s air, but first, a brief summary to understand the issue.

Every year, an increase in temperatures displaces 2 million people to other regions, kills 1,600 people due to wildfires and causes $ 49 billion in losses, according to the latest figures available from the United Nations.

The global warming began with the Industrial Revolution and became more intense during the twentieth century with the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil. The gases produced by these activities block the heat that the Earth radiates into the atmosphere and prevent its escape. This phenomenon is known as the “greenhouse effect”.

Gases that remain in the atmosphere almost permanently and do not respond physically or chemically to changes in temperature are described as “forcing,” as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA, for short, in Spanish) explains on its website. English).

The most important greenhouse gas and environmental pollution is carbon dioxide (CO2), although other related greenhouse gases are methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons.

Some governments, especially that of US President George W. Bush, have implemented a communication strategy to mitigate the problem, calling it “climate change.”

More details here: It’s called global warming, not climate change

To reduce the consequences, countries pledged to reduce their polluting emissions, such as Paris Agreement And prevent the planet’s temperature rise by two degrees Celsius.

The top ten of pollution

China, the United States, India and Russia are the most polluting countries, emitting 55% of the world’s carbon dioxide. We share the complete ranking below.

The latest available data reflects that global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning and operations increased by 1% in 2019, half the annual rebound from the previous year, for a total of 38,000 million metric tons.

The European Commission document collects carbon dioxide emissions mainly from electricity generation, industrial combustion, buildings, transport, mining and agriculture.

And Mexico?

Although Mexico contributes only 1.2% of the total global pollutant emissions, its governments have committed for several years to reduce them.

But the current administration of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is committed to fossil fuels, by building a new refinery and bailing out state companies Petróleos Mexicanos and the Federal Electricity Authority (CFE).

In 2019, the total cost of depletion and environmental degradation is 1 trillion pesos, equivalent to 4.5% of GDP, according to the Mexican Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi).

“We are one of the countries that produces the least environmental pollution in our electricity generation, huh. For example, the United States, China, India, Russia and Germany pollute more than we do. (…) The ideal solution would be zero emissions. That’s what everyone wants, but … Here we go, “The former head of the Department of Energy (SENR) announced in March. Rosio Nahley to Forbes Mexico.

Our country aims to produce 35% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2024, but Sener revealed in a document that the commitment will be fulfilled until 2025.

Here’s the story: Mexico will lose its clean energy target in 2024: SENR