What are the 8 countries that produce the most carbon dioxide in the world? Carbon dioxide is one of the most important gasses in the world, being essential for the existence of human life. Carbon dioxide occurs naturally and is both colorless as well as odorless. It exists in the atmosphere of the Earth as a trace gas, at 0.04%. The natural sources which produce carbon dioxide include geysers, hot springs, and volcanoes while it can also be released from carbonate rocks by their dissolution in water or acid. It also occurs in groundwater, lakes, rivers, glaciers, and seawater. Furthermore, it is also possible to find the existence of carbon dioxide in deposits of natural gas as well as petroleum.
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The carbon dioxide which is present in the atmosphere of the Earth is the main source of carbon on Earth and the concentration of this gas was naturally regulated throughout history by photosynthetic organisms and geographical occurrences as well. It is extremely important for plants, who use the light energy from the sun in order to photosynthesize the carbohydrates from the carbon dioxide. All aerobic organisms produce carbon dioxide, which includes humans as well. This occurs when we breathe, through a process called respiration which results in the production of energy. We then return it to the air when we breathe out. It is also produced when organic materials decay and is also created during the process of sugar fermentation in wine, bread, and beer. Furthermore, carbon dioxide is also created when fossil fuels, wood, and carbohydrates combust.
Carbon dioxide is extremely popular in the industrial market, because it provides a variety of uses which include being used as an inactive gas in the process of welding while the same property also allows it to be used in fire extinguishers. Air guns also make use of the gas as a pressurizing gas, while it is also used as chemical feedstock. This, of course, is in addition to being used in caffeine drinks as a solvent. In addition, one of the most popular uses of carbon dioxide is adding it to fizzy drinks and even water, a procedure which then results in effervescence. The solid form of carbon dioxide, also known more popularly as dry ice, is used in refrigerators and an abrasive which is then used in the blasting of dry ice.
Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas. Due to the industrial revolution occurring over a century ago, the burning of carbon based fuels has greatly increased, which in turn has significantly increased the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In addition to this concern, since carbon dioxide has the ability to react with water and form carbonic acid, this has led to ocean acidification, which basically means that the acidity of the oceans in the Earth increases.
In order to find out which are the 8 countries that produce the most carbon dioxide in the world, we looked for data of the emissions of carbon dioxide by each country, since it is more or less impossible to quantify any other form of carbon dioxide production. Another product for which data is difficult to collect is the production of weed. However, we have still done a pretty solid job on that topic. For more information, you can refer the 8 countries that produce the most weed in the world. For the data used to determine our rankings, we consulted a report prepared by PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency.
Amazingly, educating the world about the harmful effects of excess carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere has actually managed to work wonders. In 2014, the growth in the emissions rate of carbon dioxide on a global scale almost stalled, which is an incredible achievement. Without further ado, here are the biggest carbon dioxide producers!
8. The Republic of Korea
Carbon dioxide emissions by the country in 2014 (in kilotonnes): 610,065
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7. Iran
Carbon dioxide emissions by the country in 2014 (in kilotonnes): 618,197
6. Germany
Carbon dioxide emissions by the country in 2014 (in kilotonnes): 767,145
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5. Japan
Carbon dioxide emissions by the country in 2014 (in kilotonnes): 1,278,921
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4. Russia
Carbon dioxide emissions by the country in 2014 (in kilotonnes): 1,766,427
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3. India
Carbon dioxide emissions by the country in 2014 (in kilotonnes): 2,341,896
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2. The United States of America
Carbon dioxide emissions by the country in 2014 (in kilotonnes): 5,334,529
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1. China
Carbon dioxide emissions by the country in 2014 (in kilotonnes): 10,540,749
Producing nearly twice the amount of carbon dioxide as produced by second placed USA, there is no competition as China easily tops the list 8 countries that produce the most carbon dioxide in the world.
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