Biggest climate warmers

The United States, China, Russia, Brazil, India, Germany and the United Kingdom are responsible for more than 60 percent of the 0.74 degree Celsius rise in global average temperature observed from 1906 to 2005, a new report shows.

Nations add to warming through fossil fuel use, land-use change and other effects. In a cartogram (final slide, above), a nation’s size expands if its warming contribution is large for its geographic area and contracts if emissions are low per unit area.

The United States, New Zealand and the United Kingdom are among the top contributors to warming based on population size. H.D. Matthews et al/Environ. Res. Letters 2014; modified by S. Egts

The United States is the top contributor to warming based on carbon dioxide from fossil fuels. H.D. Matthews et al/Environ. Res. Letters 2014; modified by S. Egts

China and the United States lead the way in warming from greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide. H.D. Matthews et al/Environ. Res. Letters 2014; modified by S. Egts
China, India, Brazil and the United States contribute the most to warming from carbon dioxide caused by changes in the use of land. H.D. Matthews et al/Environ. Res. Letters 2014; modified by S. Egts

Greenland and French Guiana lead the way in warming from aerosols. H.D. Matthews et al/Environ. Res. Letters 2014; modified by S. Egts

The warming contributions of Germany and the United Kingdom are large compared to their geographic area, while emissions are low per unit area in Canada and Australia. H.D. Matthews et al/Environ. Res. Letters 2014; modified by S. Egts

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