True. I'll only suggest that it is from the momentum of the WWII industrial build-up. "We" don't want to let go of it because of the wealth it creates now.

Prior to that, the European nations were by far the biggest polluters, but the same incident... WWII, took down all that old soot-creating industry... allowing for a wave of modernization. The London Fog was downright deadly for a while there.

Everyone takes a turn. "We" are just having some trouble coming to terms with not being able to play by ourselves, in this arena, anymore.

No one is "free" of all guilt. And the USA is about to be 'put to shame' and demoted to '3rd stringer bench warmer' Newly industrializing nations such as India and China will do whatever is necessary to become world class economies. Do you think they'll set that (and everything it means to their citizenry vis-a-vis standard of living) aside because of world opinion... or even a little smog in their cities?