American Consumption = Pollution
by Emily Krivograd
Statistics about American Pollution
- The average American will create 13 times more ecological damage to the Earth than someone born in another country, such as Brazil (Use It and Lose It: The Outsize Effect of U.S. Consumption on the Environment)
- Only five percent of the world is made up of American people, yet 24 percent of goods around the world are consumed by Americans (Consumption
by the United States) - Because of Americans dumping waste and other pollutants into bodies of water, 40 percent of lakes throughout the United States are too polluted for fishing, aquatic life, and swimming (11 Facts About Pollution)
Why You Should Care
1. The United States continues to do business China, the leading country for air pollution production, even though many products made in China are produced in filthy conditions and are completely needless in American households.
2. We are in the middle of a mass extinction right now, and by producing more pollution, we are only making things worse for ourselves.
3. We will one day be the main generation responsible for caring for our planet, with our polluted air and water, weakening ozone layer, and endangered species