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For background reading on consumption and ecological footprint, see...

Buy, Use, Toss?, a two-week curriculum unit

units 2 and 7 of Facing the Future's high school textbook

chapters 6 and 9 of our middle school textbook

weeks 2 and 10 of our Newspapers in Education articles

Consumption Fast Facts and Quick Actions

Fast Facts
Quick Actions
More Information

Fast Facts about Consumption

Private consumption by households increased fourfold between 1960 and 2000, when it reached more than US$20 trillion. The 12% of the world's people living in North America and Western Europe account for 60% of this consumption, while the one-third living in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa account for less thyan 4%.The richest 20% in the world account for 86% of total private consumption; the poorest 20% account for only 1.3%. (Worldwatch Institute, United Nations Development Program)
In 2004, the United States accounted for less than 5% of the world's population and 33% of global consumption. The rise in consumption has not led to a rise in happiness among U.S. consumers. About a third of people in the U.S. report being "very happy," the same share as in 1957, when they were only half as wealthy. Americans are also some of the most overworked people in the industrial world, putting in the equivalent of nine more weeks on the job each year than the average European. (World Resources Institute, Worldwatch Institute)
The average person living in the United States uses 300 shopping bags worth of raw materials every week - weighing as much as a large luxury car. We would need the resources of three planets for everyone on Earth to live as people in the United States do. If resources were shared equally, everyone on the planet would have the lifestyle of an average Italian. (World Resources Insitute, Center for a New American Dream)
We are targeted by over 1,500 commercial messages a day, up from 560 per day in the 1960s. Advertisers are increasingly targeting young people. Companies spend more than $200 billion on advertising in the U.S. each year (and $435 billion worldwide). Less than $50 billion a year could provide adequate food, clean water, and basic education for the world's poorest. People around the world spend much more than this amount on makeup, perfumes, pet food, ocean cruises, and ice cream. (Center for a New American Dream, Worldwatch Institute)
Over the past decade, credit card debt among 18-24 year-olds in the United States more than doubled. National surveys reveal that kids are leaving high school without a basic understanding of issues relating to savings and credit card debt. (Demos)
The Ecological Footprint (the amount of the earth’s surface that it takes to provide everything each person uses) of the average person in the United States is about 12 times larger than the footprint of the average inhabitant of India. So the 4.1 million babies born in the United States this year will have almost the same impact on the earth as the 27.6 million babies born in India. (Redefining Progress)
The world's richest countries make up only one-fifth of global population but account for 45% of all meat consumption, 58% of total energy use, 84% of paper use, and 87% of vehicle ownership. At the other end of the spectrum, the poorest fifth of the world's population - more than one billion people - still lack food, shelter, housing, water and sanitation, and access to electricity. (United Nations Development Programme)

Quick Actions to Mitigate Consumption

Vote with your wallet
Every time you buy something is an opportunity to support companies that are environmentally friendly, treat their workers well, produce sustainable products, and give back to their communities. An online catalog of sustainable products is available at Co-op America's National Green Pages, and information about the social and environmental impact of major corporations is available at Responsible Shopper. The Center for a New American Dream's Conscious Consumer Marketplace provides a list of environmentally and socially responsible versions of everyday items - from coffee to clothing to appliances - with links to the nearest local or online source for the goods. The New Dream site offers plenty of other tips and resources, including a general Shopper's Checklist. Better World Shopper rates companies according to their impact on factors such as the environment, human rights, and social justice. To find out what the labels on your favorite products really mean, see Consumer Reports' Eco-labels center.
Measure your Ecological Footprint
Ecological Footprint is defined as the amount of the earth’s surface that it takes to provide everything a person uses – food, water, energy, clothes, roads, etc. People in the United States have among the world's largest average footprint at 24 acres, and have to import resources to meet the demand. In parts of the world, the average footprint is only one acre. Take a quiz that measures your Ecological Footprint and helps you understand how many resources go into ordinary things like a meal, a car, or your favorite shirt.

Then pick three things you can do to shrink your own Ecological Footprint. When you use fewer resources, less stress is put on the environment, and more resources are available for others.
Ride your bike or walk
Cars eat up a lot of resources and have a big impact on the planet. Decide to ride your bike or walk to get somewhere at least once a week. Or, help organize or start your own bike or walk to school campaign.
Give and receive gifts that keep giving
The following sites have creative gift-giving ideas for holidays, birthdays, and other special occasions:
Simplify the Holidays – ideas for homemade, less expensive, less commercial gifts.
Heifer International – give the gift of nutrition and income, buy a goat, cow or other livestock for a poor person from the country of your choice.

Global Exchange's Fair Trade Online Store – buy crafts from around the world, while ensuring that a fair share of the profit goes to the villagers who produced it.
Say no to junk mail
Did you know that more than 4 million tons (62 billion pieces) of junk mail is produced every year? An average of 41 pounds of junk mail are sent to every adult in the U.S. each year, 44% of which goes to a landfill unopened. People in the U.S. spend over $275 million to dispose of junk mail annually. (Center for the Development of Recycling) The paper industry is the fourth largest greenhouse gas emittor among U.S. manufacturing industries and accounts for a fourth of landfill waste. The average person in the U.S. uses over 700 pounds of paper per year. (Environmental Paper Network) If you are ready to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive, filling out this form on the Center for A New American Dream site will automatically generate forms for you to sign and mail to the companies that sell your name to advertisers. The Center for the Development of Recycling provides additional information.
Receive email action alerts
Sign up to receive action alerts from Center for the New American Dream to find out what can do to make a difference. Signing up will allow you to track each action in your personal action center.
Write your representatives
It is always a good idea to drop your elected official a line to tell them you are concerned about something. Often just a few letters, emails or faxes can help them decide to support or reject an issue, because they know that for every person who took the time to write, there are others who have the same opinion. To get the email address and contact information for your elected official, click here.

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