U.S. Emissions Rise 4.2%, China's Fall 2.7%

China’s Emissions Decline and Energy Buildout

• Thread highlights massive Chinese renewable deployment, especially solar: 92 GW added in May 2025 alone, comparable to the entire historical U.S. solar build.
• Several comments stress that most recent demand growth is being met by solar and wind, with coal use and coal plant capacity factors declining.
• Others push back that China still gets ~56% of electricity from coal, has doubled U.S. emissions in absolute terms, and continues to add coal capacity.
• Counterargument: many new coal plants are low-utilization “backup” or replacements for dirtier units; coal growth stats without utilization data are called “lying by omission.”

U.S. Emissions Rise and Structural Obstacles

• U.S. increase is attributed to population and GDP growth, more A/C, and AI/crypto/data centers.
• Commenters describe the U.S. as near energy independent but politically captured by fossil lobbies, with weak will to retool and deploy renewables at scale.
• Rooftop solar is seen as economically viable over 9–12 years for many homeowners but inaccessible to renters and still a stretch for many households.

Solar, Land Use, and Grid Practicality

• Disagreement over whether solar and wind “use up” farmland: some argue agrivoltaics and grazing under turbines preserve land; others say such co‑location is rare and not cost-effective today.
• Cheap solar is noted as relying heavily on state-subsidized Chinese panels and high-insolation “near-worthless” land; economics are tougher in cloudy, high-cost regions.
• Consensus that a 100% solar grid is neither realistic nor necessary: a mix of solar, wind, hydro, nuclear, storage, and some fossil backup is assumed.

Per‑Capita vs Absolute Emissions and Outsourcing

• One camp insists only absolute national totals matter for the climate; another argues per‑capita (and historical) responsibility is essential for fairness.
• Multiple comments note that China is “the world’s factory,” so a significant share of its emissions effectively serve Western consumption.
• Debate becomes heated over whether focusing on China’s totals is sincere climate concern or a way for rich countries to avoid changing.

Motives, Governance, and Policy Tools

• Some claim China acts purely for energy security and optics; others say smog, health impacts, water stress, and long-term climate risks are genuine drivers.
• Democracies, especially the U.S., are portrayed as short-termist; authoritarian China is seen as more capable of long-horizon industrial planning, though its major planning failures are also cited.
• Carbon taxes/dividends are proposed as efficient tools; skeptics argue taxes and credits mostly reshuffle emissions unless paired with strong structural policies.
• EU’s carbon border adjustment is mentioned as an emerging mechanism that may later penalize high-emission producers like the U.S.