E.g. if you import a phone from China you have to account for the energy usage and pollution as yours.
E.g. if you import a phone from China you have to account for the energy usage and pollution as yours.
The choice/substitution argument doesn’t work when there are no practical alternatives. This is why climate change and pollution are not individual choices, but a global imperative. Anything short of global coordinated action to mitigate won’t work (and won’t be enough). What individuals can do is put pressure on their officials and buy sensibly when choice is there.
Not at all, this is not personal consumer's choice. Consumers can only make efforts to fight consumerism and push for political change.
All the other states at the to of that carbon per capita list also seem like they're highly dependent on imports, possibly more than the US, so I'd expect that many of the factors you describe also apply to them. The gulf states also have to get their phones from abroad.