--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We [US] are the biggest per person, by a…" description: "\"We [US] are the biggest per person, by a substantial amount, greenhouse emitters, and we give the most foreign aid, not per person but in absolute. Thi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c9/bill-gates-137_absolutes_we-us-are-the-biggest-per-person-by-a-su_3176940.jpg" --- # We \[US\] are the biggest per person, by a substantial… ![“We [US] are the biggest per person, by a substantial amount, greenhouse emitters, and we give the most foreign aid, not per person but in absolute. This is another issue where hopefully we will take a long-term approach which, even though we sometimes have a hard time doing that, it's easier for…” quote by Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c9/bill-gates-137_absolutes_we-us-are-the-biggest-per-person-by-a-su_3176940.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c9/bill-gates-137_absolutes_we-us-are-the-biggest-per-person-by-a-su_3176940.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c9/bill-gates-137_absolutes_we-us-are-the-biggest-per-person-by-a-su_3176940.jpg) > “We \[US\] are the biggest per person, by a substantial amount, greenhouse emitters, and we give the most foreign aid, not per person but in absolute. This is another issue where hopefully we will take a long-term approach which, even though we sometimes have a hard time doing that, it's easier for us, as a rich country with this kind of scientific depth, than it is for the poor countries who will suffer the problems.” [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The U.S. emits the most greenhouse gases per capita and provides the most foreign aid in total, yet struggles with long‑term planning despite its resources. **In simple terms:** U.S. is top per‑person emitter and aid giver, but needs better long‑term focus. Key Takeaway Leverage wealth for sustainable policies. Themes environment policy aid inequality leadership Mood concerned optimistic Type policy inspirational When to use this quote - climate negotiations - development aid - policy reform - international cooperation Key Concepts carbon emissions foreign aid long‑term planning resource disparity Questions to Reflect On - How can wealth translate into effective climate action? - What incentives drive long‑term planning? A Different Perspective Rich nations may lack political will despite resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Aid Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aid-person-5805265/) [Aids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aids/) [Amount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amount/) [Approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach/) [Countries Suffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/countries-suffer-4407673/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Depth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depth/) [Easier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easier/) [Emitters Foreign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emitters-foreign-5727089/) [Foreign aid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-aid/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Greenhouses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greenhouses/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Hard time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-time/) [Hard times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-times/) [Hopefully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hopefully/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-term/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Poor countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-countries/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich/) [Rich countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich-countries/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) ## Related quotes > [The US really has to get out in front. We are the biggest per person, by a substantial amount, greenhouse emitters, and we give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-us-really-has-to-get-out-in-front-we-are-the-biggest-per-person/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [It isn't only rich countries that suffer from the effects of tax havens. Developing countries also lose billions of dollars in tax revenues due…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-angel-gurria/it-isn-t-only-rich-countries-that-suffer-from-the-effects-of-tax/) [Jose Angel Gurria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-angel-gurria/) > [A nation as such does not give aid to another nation. More precisely, the common citizens of our country, through their taxes, give to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-parenti/a-nation-as-such-does-not-give-aid-to-another-nation-more-precisely/) [Michael Parenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-parenti/) > [Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-casey/foreign-aid-might-be-defined-as-a-transfer-from-poor-people-in-rich/) [Douglas Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-casey/) > [Foreign aid is taking money from the poor people of a rich country and giving it to the rich people of a poor country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/foreign-aid-is-taking-money-from-the-poor-people-of-a-rich-country/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Foreign aid goes from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/foreign-aid-goes-from-poor-people-in-rich-countries-to-rich-people-in/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [The Arab and Islamic countries suffer from severe backwardness, and the Western world wants to make them even more backward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-mahdi-akef/the-arab-and-islamic-countries-suffer-from-severe-backwardness-and/) [Mohammed Mahdi Akef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-mahdi-akef/) > [The great question for our time is, how to make sure that the continuing scientific revolution brings benefits to everybody rather than widening the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/the-great-question-for-our-time-is-how-to-make-sure-that-the/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [Rich countries want unfettered access to poor countries' markets, which are often heavily protected by tariffs, but they don't want to give up all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-altman/rich-countries-want-unfettered-access-to-poor-countries-markets-which/) [Daniel Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-altman/) > [Rich countries have 'kicked away the ladder' by forcing free-market, free-trade policies on poor countries. Already established countries do not want more competitors emerging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/rich-countries-have-kicked-away-the-ladder-by-forcing-free-market/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [“Nobody in rich countries wants to face responsibility for the lives of people in poor countries. They just want cheap groceries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-baxter/nobody-in-rich-countries-wants-to-face-responsibility-for-the-lives/) [Greg Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-baxter/) > [Climate change hype has grave real world consequences. It gets rich countries to adopt silly policies and to impose devastating eco-imperialism on poor countries.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-louw/climate-change-hype-has-grave-real-world-consequences-it-gets-rich/) [Leon Louw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-louw/) > [Rich countries have been sending aid to poor countries for the last 60 years. And, by and large, this has failed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iqbal-quadir/rich-countries-have-been-sending-aid-to-poor-countries-for-the-last/) [Iqbal Quadir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iqbal-quadir/) > [Development aid takes money from the poor in rich countries and gives it to the rich in poor countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-saleh/development-aid-takes-money-from-the-poor-in-rich-countries-and-gives/) [Mohammed Saleh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-saleh/) > [Aid is the process by which the poor in rich countries subsidize the rich in poor countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thomas-bauer/aid-is-the-process-by-which-the-poor-in-rich-countries-subsidize-the/) [Peter Thomas Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thomas-bauer/) ## More by Bill Gates > [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [I really had a lot of dreams when I was a kid, and I think a great deal of that grew out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/i-really-had-a-lot-of-dreams-when-i-was-a-kid-and-i-think-a-great/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Understanding science and pushing the boundaries of science is what makes me immensely satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/understanding-science-and-pushing-the-boundaries-of-science-is-what/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [We're focused on providing innovations in software, driving the continuous improvement for a much better experience, and there's a lot going on here that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/we-re-focused-on-providing-innovations-in-software-driving-the/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Paper is no longer a big part of my day. I get 90% of my news online, and when I go to a meeting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/paper-is-no-longer-a-big-part-of-my-day-i-get-90-of-my-news-online/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Software will get to be somewhat more mature, ah, but it will never be as predictable as most areas of engineering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/software-will-get-to-be-somewhat-more-mature-ah-but-it-will-never-be/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Students deserve great teachers. And teachers deserve the support they need to become great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/students-deserve-great-teachers-and-teachers-deserve-the-support-they/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [The machines need to get faster. They need to get cheaper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-machines-need-to-get-faster-they-need-to-get-cheaper/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Like many others, I have deep misgivings about the state of education in the United States. Too many of our students fail to graduate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/like-many-others-i-have-deep-misgivings-about-the-state-of-education/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Over time, yes, countries will need to look at specific GMO products like they look at drugs today, where they don't approve them all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/over-time-yes-countries-will-need-to-look-at-specific-gmo-products/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Competition is always a fantastic thing, and the computer industry is intensely competitive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/competition-is-always-a-fantastic-thing-and-the-computer-industry-is/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [I don't think there's anything unique about human intellience. All the nuerons in the brain that make up perceptions and emotions operate in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/i-don-t-think-there-s-anything-unique-about-human-intellience-all-the/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [At every juncture, advanced tools have been the key to a new wave of applications, and each wave of applications has been key to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/at-every-juncture-advanced-tools-have-been-the-key-to-a-new-wave-of/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Software is more important than hardware.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/software-is-more-important-than-hardware/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Talking to mothers, always brings it home because they're so anxious to do everything they can for their kids and so tragic for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/talking-to-mothers-always-brings-it-home-because-they-re-so-anxious/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) [Explore all 1,165 Bill Gates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) ## More Absolutes quotes > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-is-no-perfect-justice-just-as-there-is-no-absolute-in-ethics/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [If you live in a material universe where acquiring things is very important to you, then family is an absolute deterrent to maintaining that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/if-you-live-in-a-material-universe-where-acquiring-things-is-very/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. This is what in defense is referred to as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/their-the-u-s-s-defense-budget-in-absolute-figures-is-almost-25-times/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Conservative political opinion in America cleaves to the tradition of the judge as passive interpreter, believing that his absolute loyalty to authoritative law is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/conservative-political-opinion-in-america-cleaves-to-the-tradition-of/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) > [So many times we come to Jesus in worship and ask Him for things that He already IS and has already done... What a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-nockels/so-many-times-we-come-to-jesus-in-worship-and-ask-him-for-things-that/) [Christy Nockels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christy-nockels/) > [Those are decisions only the Lord will make. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/those-are-decisions-only-the-lord-will-make-i-believe-the-love-of-god/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“The Gods know what it is to be eternal, and they love to toy with mortals who use absolutes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/the-gods-know-what-it-is-to-be-eternal-and-they-love-to-toy-with/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-was-asked-the-other-day-if-i-would-be-interested-in-the-nobel-prize/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [The only "definitive truth" for Buddhism is the absolute negation of any one truth as the Definitive Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-only-definitive-truth-for-buddhism-is-the-absolute-negation-of/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [The nature of the Absolute is neither perceptible nor imperceptible; and with phenomena it is just the same. But to one who has discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huangbo-xiyun/the-nature-of-the-absolute-is-neither-perceptible-nor-imperceptible/) [Huangbo Xiyun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huangbo-xiyun/) > [Joining a company is an act that calls for absolute loyalty in big matters and little ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-watson/joining-a-company-is-an-act-that-calls-for-absolute-loyalty-in-big/) [Thomas Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-watson/) > [In fine, a life of good or evil, the hope of Heaven or the despair of Hell, Faustus stands as a reminder that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-fine-a-life-of-good-or-evil-the-hope-of-heaven-or-the-despair-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 2,016 Absolutes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We [US] are the biggest per person, by a substantial amount, greenhouse emitters, and we give the most foreign aid, not per person but in absolute. This is another issue where hopefully we will take a long-term approach which, even though we sometimes have a hard time doing that, it's easier for us, as a rich country with this kind of scientific depth, than it is for the poor countries who will suffer the problems.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Gates" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/we-us-are-the-biggest-per-person-by-a-substantial-amount-greenhouse/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Absolutes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/we-us-are-the-biggest-per-person-by-a-substantial-amount-greenhouse/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c9/bill-gates-137_absolutes_we-us-are-the-biggest-per-person-by-a-su_3176940.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c9/bill-gates-137_absolutes_we-us-are-the-biggest-per-person-by-a-su_3176940.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c9/bill-gates-137_absolutes_we-us-are-the-biggest-per-person-by-a-su_3176940.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We [US] are the biggest per person, by a substantial amount, greenhouse emitters, and we give the most…” — Bill Gates", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bill Gates", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We [US] are the biggest per...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/we-us-are-the-biggest-per-person-by-a-substantial-amount-greenhouse/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/we-us-are-the-biggest-per-person-by-a-substantial-amount-greenhouse/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```