The number, assuming it’s true and I suspect it is, makes good sense. A billion Chinese, 300 million Americans, 700 million Chinese peasants with low carbon (though high soot) footprint. 0 American peasants.

As more and more Chinese come out of peasanthood and into the urban economies the carbon signature of China will rise. As more Chinese move from labourer to factory work to the middle class, the carbon fingerprint will increase. And, if I was even slightly concerned about manmade CO2 as a greenhouse gas I might think this is a bad thing. But as I am not my only concern is that the Chinese are going to have to go through the “killing fogs” which characterized Industrial Revolution (and beyond) England before they get a handle on their pollution problems. China is going to get very much worse before it gets any better.