I couldn’t quite think how to put this down as a proper entry so here’s an extract from the distant future about the attempt to tackle global warming in the 21st century which should highlight the point I wanted to make. Obviously it’s fictitious or I’d have taken a page from Back to the Future and be ridiculously rich. It was inspired after reading this.
"Far from stopping global warming the carbon dioxide emission targets imposed on developed nations instead resulted in massive transfer of industry, wealth and power to populous developing nations.
The two major factors which are attributed to this shift are firstly the decline in birth rates among developed nations especially during the 20th century. Secondly the successful lobbying by developing nations supported by 3rd world nations that carbon dioxide emissions targets for countries should be tied to their respective populations.
It is generally accepted that this shift was one of the major contributing factors in the 3rd World War. The massive and fast pace of the increase in wealth and power to countries without long standing and strong social institutions to protect democratic principals lead to the rise of numerous and powerful totaliarian states."