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Re:Traffic and Pollution Plummet as U.S. Cities Shut Down by bosswipe on Sunday March 22, 2020 @02:08PM (#22657095)
Do you mean the bottom or the top class?
Re:Traffic and Pollution Plummet as U.S. Cities Shut Down by toomuchtodo on Sunday March 22, 2020 @02:19PM (#22657201)
Top most class.

https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/the-worlds-richest-people-also-e...

“On Wednesday, British charity Oxfam released a study that found the richest 10 percent of people produce half of the planet’s individual-consumption-based fossil fuel emissions, while the poorest 50 percent — about 3.5 billion people — contribute only 10 percent. Yet those same 3.5 billion people are “living overwhelmingly in the countries most vulnerable to climate change,” according to the report. According to the data used by the report, individual consumption — as opposed to consumption by governments and international transport — makes up 64 percent of worldwide climate emissions.

Oxfam estimates that the world’s richest 10 percent of people have carbon footprints that are 60 times higher as the poorest 10 percent. Any estimation that generalizes large populations is difficult to make, but researchers at Oxfam also estimate that the emissions of the world’s richest 1 percent create an even larger emissions gap: the 1 percent could emit 30 times more than the poorest 50 percent and 175 times more than the poorest 10 percent.”

Re:Traffic and Pollution Plummet as U.S. Cities Shut Down by bshacklett on Sunday March 22, 2020 @02:46PM (#22657437)
Before anyone gets on a soapbox, here's a quick reminder that if you're reading this post, there's a good chance that you're part of that top 10%.
Re:Traffic and Pollution Plummet as U.S. Cities Shut Down by Apocryphon on Sunday March 22, 2020 @03:43PM (#22657926)
Those in the developed west who get on those soapboxes probably already fall into crunchy green subcultures anyway and are cognizant of their own carbon footprints.

And the active HN reader, whether they fall into that camp or not, are unlikely to be in the actual part of that global 10% who dictate industrial policy that have far-reaching effects on the rest of the world.

Re:Traffic and Pollution Plummet as U.S. Cities Shut Down by bshacklett on Sunday March 22, 2020 @07:00PM (#22659573)
Our buying habits have a drastic effect on the rest of the world. Just look at Avocados and Chocolate for two ridiculous examples. The average American's love for both has had a huge impact on the lives of those who farm as well as deforestation in affected areas.

Just having our preferred foods year-round can completely change the lives of others. Just thinj about the effect that owning things like cars and houses has on the rest of the world.

Don't kid yourself. Like it or not you and I are part of the problem.

Re:Traffic and Pollution Plummet as U.S. Cities Shut Down by tomp on Sunday March 22, 2020 @03:29PM (#22657809)
Top 10% is like 700m people, a.k.a most Western World population. Not a lot of “class-warfare” can happen if you classify countries as just having a single class.