[STUDY] Rich Americans Contribute More to Carbon Missions in US—Here's Why

A new study claims that Rich Americans contribute more to carbon emissions than lower earners.

Experts said that those specifically in the top 10% of earners are responsible for 40% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.

Rich Americans Contribute More to Carbon Missions in the US

According to Forbes' latest report, a new study was published in the PLOS Climate journal on Wednesday, Aug. 16.

Experts from the University of Massachusetts Amherst conducted it. Their findings revealed that the top 10% of American earners contribute more to greenhouse gas emissions.

Via Business Insider, Jared Star, the study's lead author, said that the carbon emissions are linked to the earnings these wealthier Americans make. The University of Massachusetts Amherst sustainability scientist added that their greenhouse gas emissions are created to generate earnings.

Starr also explained that their findings show that those earning less and contributing less to carbon emissions mostly suffer from the worsening climate crisis.

"It just seems morally untenable to have such an extreme disparity in our society," said the lead author.

Why Rich Americans Emit More Greenhouse Gas

There are many reasons why wealthier Americans contribute more to carbon emissions. These include investing in businesses that have manufacturing plants that emit greenhouse gases. In the new study, researchers said that carbon emissions are associated with the investment income of richer Americans.

When it comes to lower and middle earners, the carbon emissions they make are associated with their wages. Because of this, experts suggested that the best solution for this disparity is to tax wealthy people instead of consumers.

Starr explained that carbon taxes are currently focused on the wrong residents. In the U.S., numerous proposals for a carbon tax were already introduced in Congress.

However, these laws are usually passed to consumers. This is why product prices go up, as the International Monetary Fund explains. Starr and his co-authors explained that the government should start taxing shares of companies based on their carbon emissions.

They said that taxing wealthier Americans could discourage them from investing in industries that are harmful to the environment, such as the gas and oil industries. Instead, they could shift their investments to more sustainable industries, including solar and wind energy.

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Americans, Carbon Emissions, Us, United States