Farida, I just wanted to add that failure of the Wealthy West to act responsibly is the worst excuse for developing nations to act irresponsibly. In a world where governments of nations act to put their own national interests first, often at cost to others, often with only shortsighted goals, following the Wealthy West's example looks irresponsible.

Australia will sell developing nations more fossil fuels, as much as you want, but it will be nations like Bangladesh that will find the prosperity it brings shortlived and the added impacts of climate change irreversibly damaging.

Demand more from countries like Australia but don't use us as an excuse for taking a path that gives short term prosperity and leads to long term disaster.

Horus, that neither you nor I can estimate the CO2 exhalation rates of volcanoes, does not mean it has not been done nor cannot be done. In fact the CO2 flux (and other gases too) for many volcanoes has been measured and from these gas concentrations the outputs calculated. Just as we don't directly measure all the exhaust fumes from cars and factories, we know how much fuel they burn, we can certainly measure that and calculate how much gas they produce, we also know how many volcanoes there are and what their average CO2 emissions are.

Ian Plimer certainly thinks it can and has been done, as evidenced by his unsourced statement about it and his question for Monbiot about calculating them.

Surely he wouldn't ask questions that he knew could not be answered?

One thing's for sure, he doesn't want to answer questions on his own statements.

I think that tactic of asking specific scientific questions you don't expect to be answered so as to make your opponent look unqualified to even discuss the subject with you will likely in future be known as "pulling a Plimer".

the author of this article clearly shows that how much less carbon food print is produced in poor countries compare to the rich ones. we the people who are living in develope countries should change our behaviou as well well putting pressure on our governments to take more responsibility to reduce carbon emissions rather then seeing the issue only family panning.

it is also ridiculous that seeing the family planning as lack of education of women/young girls. what about men?