Consumption - Democratic Underground

IChing

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Sat Jul-07-07 11:37 AM
Original message

Consumption

Americans constitute 5% of the world's population but consume 24%
of the world's energy. On average, one American consumes as much
energy as 2 Japanese, 6 Mexicans, 13 Chinese, 31 Indians, 128 Bangladeshis,
307 Tanzanians, or 370 Ethiopians.

P. Ehrlich. Population Bomb, PBS website
(website now retired but book by same name should contain this information)

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Americans eat 200 billion more calories per day than necessary
-- enough to feed 80 million people.

P. Ehrlich. Population Bomb, PBS website
(website now retired but book by same name should contain this information)

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While millions of people around the world starve to death, Americans spend
$30 billion a year on diet programs. One-third or higher of the U.S. population is significantly overweight.

A.H. Bill. Facing the Future: People and the Planet. 1998 http://www.facingthefuture.org

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The U.S. produces 22% of world's total industrial carbon dioxide emissions.

World Overpopulation Awareness http://www.overpopulation.org/main.html

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Americans own roughly one-third of the world's automobiles,
drive about as many miles as the rest of the world combined,
and are far and away the largest per capita producers of carbon dioxide.

A.H. Bill. Facing the Future: People and the Planet. 1998 http://www.facingthefuture.org

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The U.S. spent half a trillion dollars in 1998: 50% went toward traditional defense;
6% was spent on education; health, the environment, and justice each received
5%, transportation less than 3%; economic development almost 2%; and agriculture
and energy less than 1% each

A.H. Bill. Facing the Future: People and the Planet. 1998 http://www.facingthefuture.org
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56% of U.S. farmland is used to produce beef;
80% of corn and 95% go to feeding livestock in the U.S.,
while one-third of total world grain output is fed to livestock.

P. Ehrlich. Population Bomb, PBS website
(website now retired but book by same name should contain this information)
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Producing 1 pound of wheat requires 25 gallons of water
with modern Western farming techniques.
Producing 1 pound of beef requires 5,214 gallons of water.

P. Ehrlich. Population Bomb, PBS website
(website now retired but book by same name should contain this information)

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The U.S. annually paves over an area the size of Delaware

A.H. Bill. Facing the Future: People and the Planet. 1998 http://www.facingthefuture.org