As Americans, we are accustomed to a surplus of clean water, food, clothes, cars, entertainment, and technologies. When we walk into a super market, we are met with a plethora of options and brands. When we step foot into a mall, we are bombarded with tons of clothes, purses, shoes, jewelry, ads, and other frivolity. We have developed an unhealthy and addictive habit of consuming mindlessly without giving much thought as to how our consuming habits effects other communities and the world around us. If America continues to depend on fossil fuels in addition to consuming thoughtlessly and taking water supplies for granted, we alone will need the equivalent of five Earths to sustain our needs. If Europe is to persist in their lifestyle and habits, three Earths will be needed to sustain them. This means that to sustain America and Europe alone, we need eight Earths. Both China and India currently only need one Earth to sustain their needs. However, these nations are swiftly catching up to our Western lifestyles and we do not have eight Earths to spare. We have one.
The average American uses 100 gallons of water a day. Activities such as washing the dishes, brushing one’s teeth, washing the car, watering the lawn, preparing meals, taking baths, and flushing the toilet, all contribute to this 100 gallons. It is a disturbing statistic to think about when you take into consideration that 1 out of every 6 world citizens has no safe drinking water. In additon to this, Americans spend $16 billion a year on bottled water due to a lack of faith in our local drinking supplies. Ironically, the water sources in which these bottled water companies obtain their water from are local sources in which many of us get our tap water. So, not only is bottled water no more safe than our tap, but fossil fuels are required to produce the plastic bottles themselves and for them to be shipped to the store. Not surprisingly, these plastic bottles wind up in our sewers, rivers, lakes, and streets were they will take hundreds of years to break down.
When we shop for new clothes or other goods, many of the tags say: Made in China. China has sky rocketed over the past thirty years as a world super power and has become one of America’s most prominent trading partners. China has experienced great wealth as a result of their industrialization but at the great expense of their environment. Factories that are located close to water sources, spew out tons of harmful effluent filled with toxins, chemicals, and carcinogens. These pollutants trigger algae blooms which turn the water to a thick, green, sludge that makes it impossible for fish and other aquatic life to survive. Besides the issue of the endangerment of aquatic species, these species are not only important for biodiversity, they often serve as the only food source for these communities. The people who live in these communities are exposed to it all and have very high rates of cancer, asthma, skin lesions, birth defects, and other major health problems.
We as consumers have the power to demand better treatment of our planet. Every purchase that we make, goes to support somebody somewhere. Whether we choose to support companies that use sustainable practices and fair treatment of their workers, or companies that further damage our planet is in our control. There are endless choices you can make as a consumer to support the fair treatment of the planet and it’s inhabitants. Everything from the food that you eat, to the toilet paper that you use, has some sort of impact on the world. It is all of our responsibilities to make these decisions consciously.
Ebony Payne is a a senior at School Without Walls in Washington D.C. This was a project that she chose to do for her senior project class in which they were also required to write a research paper. Ebony became interested in environmental issues only a few years ago but the subject has captured her attention immensely. She had this to say about her experience doing this project: “I can only describe caring about this issue as deciding whether to take the red pill versus the blue pill. The blue pill being the one that causes you to shut your eyes and deny or ignore what is quickly happening to us and our home, while the red pill forces your eyes open to see this overwhelming Matrix of problems and obstacles to conquer. This process has been a really good one for me and I hope that I am able to do more creative things such as this to help serve something greater than myself.”
