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How does your footprint reflect the economy of your country, including its colonial relations?
My footprint reflects the economy of my country and its colonial relations because I am impacted by the stable and reliable economy of the United States. Many large companies and large businesses are largely successful, leading to many additional luxuries provided to many citizens. As the United States is amongst the highest in wealth, we have taken to releasing much more carbon dioxide into our atmosphere than many other countries in our world. Countries apart from the United States are not as fortunate as we are, and do not have nearly as many resources in order to gain the size and success from the businesses and factories. Although we have made much progress on the development of many leading brands and products, we are nevertheless emitting far more carbon dioxide than the average country. For instance, although I have solar panels on the roof of my home, we cannot compensate for the energy used when using two cars on a daily basis. Many small changes like such have greater impacts than many expect. Although we have advanced technologies allowing for larger factories and industries, the cost comes with the carbon that we emit into the atmosphere every year.
How are the effects of climate change related with power imbalances among countries or within countries?
The effects of climate change relate with power imbalances that are distributed unequally across continents. One country may be less priveleged in another in a variety of ways, including wealth, education, and development, which all impact the climate change that has befallen on all of us in this world. An impoverished country may get hit by a natural diasaster influenced by climate change, however not able to compensate for the cost of the damage. This country may not be responsible for the bulk of climate change, however it is impacted greatly by the effects of climate change, although this country does not contribute as much as some others. On the other hand, you have the more advanced countries which produce many tons of carbon dioxide each year, and completely blow over the less fortunate countries. If a natural diasaster were to befall on them, the cost would be significant, but managable. These power imbalances play a key role in our stability of the earth’s global warming.
