My latest research brief opens this way:

Sen. Bernie Sanders recently called climate change “an existential threat” and blamed it for last weekend’s deadly Alabama tornadoes. Gov. Roy Cooper testified before Congress that climate change was to blame for making hurricanes more destructive. Al Gore called climate change No. 1 on the “definitive ranking of the most serious emergencies we’re facing” and said it was responsible for migrant caravans.

Or consider the rhetoric of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “Millennials and people, you know, Gen Z and all these folks that will come after us are looking up and we’re like: ‘The world is gonna end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change and your biggest issue is how are we gonna pay for it?’”

Bigger hurricanes, existential threat, and the end of the world in a dozen years if we don’t, like, act. They say these things to urge Americans to cut our emissions. As if America is what’s holding back the world from enjoying a cooler, more temperate Shangri-La, with kitten-mild hurricanes purring against our shorelines and none of your polar vortexes to panic Weather Channel personalities.

When it comes to cutting emissions, however, the United States is the Lebron James to the rest of the world’s Cavaliers. Meanwhile, these Cavaliers are too busy sulking about Paris and scoring baskets for the wrong side.

It then moves on to highlight several facts, including these three:

  • The U.S. leads the world in cutting carbon dioxide emissions
  • U.S. emissions are at their lowest level since 1992
  • Per-capita U.S. emissions haven’t been this low since 1950

Want to know more? Want to know why? Read on here.