Americans make up 6% of the world's population but consume 35% of the world's resources. Do you care?

Question

What do you do to help?

Answer 1

yes. i help build energy efficient homes that don't need furnaces and i try not to follow the American way(use it up, throw it away, buy another)
does Joel know that starvation is not surviving?
i think what is far worse than what we consume is the manner in which we consume without thought and the American attitude that we deserve to be thoughtless because we are somehow better than the rest of the world.
plus the silly notion that this is the only way it can be, like the guy above who proposes we all stop eating.
these questions and answeres further my belief that most american are dangerously stupid

Answer 2

And the upper 20% of the american pop. have 80% of the wealth. And there's nothing that anyone can really do about that. But many of these people are great philanthropists. Anyways, not that I don't care about the rest of the world but for the most part they are surviving, right? Ya there is poverty and starvation and etc., but mostly doing okay. So if people around the world are living good on what they have, why should it change. As Americans should we change what we have? Ditch the internet, cell phones, MP3 players? Certainly not must-have-to-survives, but how much would that effect EVERYONE? And if we evened out the percent of consumption to the whole planet, would they all be using the resources they were given?
But to give you an actual answer to your question, I do care. And I try to do things through common sense to help. Make fewer trips, conserve this, and not waste that. And almost everyone could do the same.

Answer 3

So what's the problem?

If you feel guilty about all that you consume, then wear burlap, ride a bike to work, and eat the grass in your yard.

And never bathe.

And that's a specious statistic; it assumes that we know what 100% of the world's resources are. We may consume 35% of what is consumed, but our consumption is not keeping others from consuming.

America is hands down the most generous country on the planet...we give more to relief efforts outside our own country than all other countries in the world COMBINED.

Answer 4

Yes I care! Some (or many) American are very inwardly focused. Instead of looking at one can do to help others, one looks at what one can do to advance ones career, to get a bigger house, to get a nicer car, etc. Instead of sticking a quarter in a UNICEF jar to feed a child for a day, many Americans go to Starbucks and plop down $4 for coffee consumed in 15 minutes. I help by encouraging others to look beyond themselves. I make monetary donations for international agencies helping individuals in other countries. I volunteer for organizations that help people in other countries. I have volunteered at orphanages in Haiti and Mexico. I hope to someday adopt a child from another country (should I ever have enough money to pay all the fees).

Answer 5

Maybe 6% of the world cares about this issue, and Americans are 35% better than all other people in the world.
I think most people don't know, or don't care to know.
What are YOU doing about this issue?

Answer 6

yes i care. which is why my family walks when it can, bikes, and takes the bus. it's why we sold our other car. why we eat local, and participate in a three-generation organic family garden that feeds us all year. it's why we make our own bread. it's why we use a old fashioned pushie mower. and why we use no pesticides. it's why we are activists (the war, racism, environmental abuse, poverty) and why we telecommute to our jobs. it's why we homeschool. why we buy used, whenever possible.

i find it most discouraging to repeatedly be reminded during my day how few people will take the most minute amount of time and effort to contribute to the well-being of the world we live in. i almost never see people biking or walking for utility. it scares me to think how very angry those people will be when they no longer have a choice.

Answer 7

I care.. One day the US will fall.. not quite as bad as the Roman Empire.. but we definatly wont be #1 as we are now.
And when that time comes the rest of the world would care less to cater to our high demands.
Fortatinatly, i dont think this will happen in my life time.
im 15, Too much to look for in life.

Answer 8

I don't care. I don't purposefully waste stuff, but I could care less about how we measure up to other countries. We have a better standard of living than anyone else, and I don't feel guilty about that.

Answer 9

No - We are the most advanced nation on Earth, so we are entitled to use more resources.

Answer 10

Dude people have to live what the heck do you expect? You know what since you are so worried about why don't all of us just stop eating and die and then no one will have to worry!