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Did you know the US consumes the equivalent of five planets?

The UK and EU consume around three to four planets worth of food and other products.

The average Ecological Footprint for a U.S. resident (as of 2005 data) is 9.4 global hectares (23.5 acres), or about the size of 17 U.S. football fields. If everyone in the world lived like an American, it would take almost five planets to support humanity. Global Footprint Network

If humans stop eating dairy products in great quantities and walk, take the bus, cycle rather than drive to work, and recycle correctly, we could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In California Burning: cheeseburgers, almonds, and massive profits created perfect drought conditions for wildfires. You can find out how.

Climate change affects people around the world, and has serious consequences for those in the Bay Area. Protect the health of our communities, our environment, and our city with your actions — they matter! San Francisco Climate Action

Trendy people race to buy fast fashion. Something new every week or two. Companies like the shiny new SheIn and others — more established and trusted — greenwash their clothing to make it look like they care about the dying processes they use and outrageous amounts of water to grow cotton. Levi's, San Francisco, makes their blue jeans last a lifetime; they say: buy better, wear longer, but can you? Thrift jeans cost a lot less than a new pair, and it's fun to look for the perfect pair!

Photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash

Plastics and glass

Nestle, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi have made excuses for years and continue to use plastic bottles recycled or otherwise. Their excuse:

Coke and Nestle said it is hard to get the plastic they need from recycled sources; Nestle said it often pays a premium for recycled material. Joe Brock Reuters 10/2020

Should Coca-Cola use their plant bottle, which decomposes after a year, it would help the ocean and waterways immensely.

Decades ago, delivery drivers exchanged empty glass bottles in the crates they arrived in for crates filled with soft drinks and beers. This saved energy in melting broken glass down to make new bottles. Yet nowadays it’s more expensive to sterilize the old bottles! How is that the most efficient way of recycling? The best way is to reuse what we already have!

Energy

Talented entrepreneurs who have harnessed solar power to convert energy to power our electricity have already started. Heliogen is a company that has recently been financed.

According to Global Footprint Network, the carbon we emit now overwhelms the planet. The trees and wetlands that remain cannot absorb our massive emissions, so it goes into the atmosphere and causes the climate changes we see more frequently.

The carbon Footprint, which accounts for the use of fossil fuels, is almost half of humanity’s total Ecological Footprint and is its fastest growing component, having increased more than 700 percent from 1961 to today.

Some humans desire banks to stop funding climate change in parts of the world that had remained untouched until the West ran low on crucial fossil fuels, minerals, and pasture land to graze cattle on.

Deforestation

In 2019, illegal deforestation accounted for 99% of the deforested land in Brazil.

Finally, please spare a thought for where your turkey or beef came from. Did wildlife lose their homes so you could say thank you for all your possessions?

Are third-world people dying from extreme weather conditions because we want the latest gadgets?

The majority of Western consumers think nothing of the damage their non-essential, but very nice to have, purchases have done to the planet.

Humans will continue to consume more and more unless we grow passionate about only consuming what we need. In turn, manufacturers will slow down, produce less, and together we will reduce emissions.

Perhaps soon, we will live like only one planet exists and treat it with wonder and respect.

We could also ensure sloths have a rainforest to live in in the Brazilian Rainforest.