--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On a per capita basis, Britain is…" description: "\"On a per capita basis, Britain is responsible for more of the carbon dioxide now in the atmosphere than any other nation on Earth because it has been b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/719/james-hansen-7143_any_on-a-per-capita-basis-britain-is-respons_3078409.jpg" --- # On a per capita basis, Britain is responsible for more of… ![“On a per capita basis, Britain is responsible for more of the carbon dioxide now in the atmosphere than any other nation on Earth because it has been burning it from the dawn of the Industrial Revolution.” quote by James Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/719/james-hansen-7143_any_on-a-per-capita-basis-britain-is-respons_3078409.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/719/james-hansen-7143_any_on-a-per-capita-basis-britain-is-respons_3078409.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/719/james-hansen-7143_any_on-a-per-capita-basis-britain-is-respons_3078409.jpg) > “On a per capita basis, Britain is responsible for more of the carbon dioxide now in the atmosphere than any other nation on Earth because it has been burning it from the dawn of the Industrial Revolution.” [James Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hansen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Britain’s historic emissions per person are the highest because it industrialized early and burned fossil fuels extensively. **In simple terms:** Britain emits most CO₂ per person due to early industrialization. Key Takeaway Recognize historical responsibility in climate policy. Themes environment history responsibility policy energy Mood reflective serious Type analytical policy When to use this quote - International climate negotiations - national emissions reporting - educational curricula - public awareness campaigns Key Concepts Carbon accounting industrial revolution per capita emissions Questions to Reflect On - How should nations with high historical emissions act today? - Can past industrialization be mitigated fairly? A Different Perspective Historical emissions are only part of current responsibility; current actions matter too. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Britain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain/) [Carbon dioxide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carbon-dioxide/) [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Dawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dawn/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Industrial revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industrial-revolution/) [Nation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nation/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) ## Related quotes > [Britain has been responsible for the undermining of democracy, turning a blind eye to abuses by its allies, using extraordinary rendition to get around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deeyah-khan/britain-has-been-responsible-for-the-undermining-of-democracy-turning/) [Deeyah Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deeyah-khan/) > [“During my time in high altitude astronomy, I routinely witnessed workers breathing medical oxygen, industrial carbon dioxide, nitrogen and helium gas as part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/during-my-time-in-high-altitude-astronomy-i-routinely-witnessed/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“I consider my low exposure to industrial carbon dioxide in professional astronomy to be a good thing, as opposed to the optics department that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/i-consider-my-low-exposure-to-industrial-carbon-dioxide-in/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“I regard breathing industrial gas to be as harmful as heavy smoking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/i-regard-breathing-industrial-gas-to-be-as-harmful-as-heavy-smoking/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [My sense is that we're ready for another industrial revolution in this country. 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