We are certainly at the beginning of a trend.
You might find this post interesting:
http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/2008/03/breathing-earth.html
Breathing Earth
Visual
simulation and representation programs and applications have been
popping up online in greater numbers, and this recent find is one that
will pique the interest of scientists, policy makers, and others who
are concerned about carbon dioxide emission rates across the Earth. The
Breathing Earth site was created by David Bleja, and he draws on a
number of resources (such as the World Factbook and the United Nations)
for the data that is utilized to create this site. Visitors can scroll
over different countries to learn about their population, their
emissions, and their birth and death rate. This interactive map and
educational resource also contains a legend in the right-hand corner
which explains the various symbols in use here. From The Scout Report,
Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2008.
Cheers,
Darius