
Nearly two-thirds of carbon emissions originated in 90 companies - Osiris30
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/08/just-90-companies-are-blame-most-climate-change-carbon-accountant-says
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pbh101
>which either emitted the carbon themselves or supplied carbon ultimately
released by consumers and industry

Does it really matter which companies it is if we are all effectively using
the products? We would be getting the oil from one company or another, and it
is no secret that an oil-based economy releases emissions. This doesn't say
much except "oil -> emissions" which to me seems like a given anyway.

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mc32
It's useful in that now we don't have to blame ourselves for contributing to
carbon emissions but instead get to blame others for the carbon emissions we
contribute to.

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electricEmu
Contrary to the bad point you were making, yes. The article specifically
brought up the view "when everyone is responsible, no one is responsible".
They went further to explain _you are_ responsible, but these corporations
have more obligation and responsibility to cut down emissions.

"Don't bust the pot smokers, but the dealers."

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mc32
Or don't tax tobacco companies[1] for the ill health effects on smokers but
the smokers, in the form of health premiums and life insurance premiums, who
choose to smoke despite knowing the detrimental health effects.

The thing is, if we want to life a modern lifestyle (i.e. refrigeration,
transportation, medicine, etc.) we need energy and at this point in time, we
don't have a viable alternative to switch over to tomorrow. As a society we
can incentivize alternative and can move away from these sources, but it is
disingenuous to frame it as these are the companies ultimately responsible for
carbon emissions --we all are.

[1]Discounting big tobacco's previous lies about their product's health
impact.

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electricEmu
Neither me nor the article shifted blame and both acknowledge everyone is
responsible. So. I large to the bystander effect, nothing changes until
someone is pointed out and assigned.

Nothing changed with tobacco until they were assigned blame. Nothing will
change with oil if we're all bystanders. That's the point of the article.

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mi100hael
> Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX), chairman of the House of Representatives
> Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

The irony of this man's title never fails to make me cringe.

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astazangasta
This is probably like, "just 90 companies control the majority of economic
activity". Concentration of wealth and power is a bitch.

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dzdt
God those moving graphs are annoying. Does anybody like those?

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ljw1001
it suggests that there is a place to focus with great leverage. For that alone
it's a valuable contribution.

