Consumers’ Most Important

Environmental Choices

Warren Leon

Seven Sample Consumer

Spending Categories

� Furniture, carpets, home fabrics

� Books, newspapers, magazines, stationary,

sanitary papersanitary paper

� Jewelry, toys, sporting goods, instruments

� Plastic bags & other plastic products

� Cutlery, metal tools, other metalware

� Glassware and ceramics

� Clothing

The Seven Most Harmful

Consumer Activities

� Cars and light trucks

� Meat and poultry

� Fruits, vegetables, grains� Fruits, vegetables, grains

� Heating, hot water, air conditioning

� Appliances and lighting

� Home construction

� Water and sewage

Leading Consumption-Related

Environmental Problems

� Air Pollution

� Water Pollution

Global Warming� Global Warming

� Alteration of Natural Habitats

Our Model

Final Demand

Households

Environment

Climate

Air

Industry & Agriculture

$$ Impacts

Gov’t

Exports

AirQuality

WaterQuality

NaturalHabitatsDirect Impacts

$$ Impacts

Impacts of the Dirty Seven

•Common water pollution

•Toxic air pollution

•Common air pollution

•Greenhouse gases

•0% •20% •40% •60% •80%

•Land use

•Water use

•Toxic water pollution

•Common water pollution

Impacts of Cars &

Light Trucks

•Toxic air pollution

•Common air pollution

•Greenhouse gases

•0% •10% •20% •30% •40% •50%

•Land use

•Water use

•Toxic water pollution

•Common water pollution

Priority Actions

Transportation

1. Choose a place to live

that reduces the need to

drive

2. Avoid purchasing an

Food

6. Eat less meat

7. Buy certified organic

foods

Household Operations

8. Choose your home 2. Avoid purchasing an

additional car

3. Choose a fuel-efficient,

low-polluting car

4. Set concrete goals for

reducing travel

5. Walk, bicycle, take

public transportation

8. Choose your home

carefully

9. Target heating & hot

water

10. Install efficient

lighting and

appliances

11. Buy renewable

electricity

A Family’s

EnergyEnergy

Does It Matter What We Eat?

Toxic air pollution

Common air pollution

Greenhouse gases

Rice

0 5 10 15 20

Land use

Water use

Toxic water pollution

Common water pollution

Rice

Chicken

Hamburger

High-Impact Activities

� Powerboats

� Pesticides and fertilizers

� Gasoline-powered yard equipment

� Fireplaces and wood stoves

� Recreational off-road driving

� Hazardous cleaners and paints

� Products made from threatened species

Unimportant Choices

� Cloth vs. disposable diapers

� Paper vs. plastic bags

� Cotton vs. synthetic clothes� Cotton vs. synthetic clothes

� Crumpled-up newspapers vs. polystyrene peanuts

� Small quantities of paper cups, paper napkins, polystyrene cups, spray cans, and plastic cups and utensils

Rules for Responsible

Consumption

� Give special attention to major purchases

� Become a weight watcher

� Analyze consumption quantitatively� Analyze consumption quantitatively

� Don’t worry about unimportant decisions

� Look for opportunities to be a leader

� Buy more things that help the environment

� Think about non-environmental reasons to

reduce consumption

Three Key Food-Related

Actions

� Eat less meat

� Choose organic foods� Choose organic foods

� Promote sustainable fishing

Safe and Health Eating

� Top priority: Good nutrition

� Second priority: Foodborne illnesses

� A real but smaller concern: Pesticides and chemicals

� Currently not a health concern: Genetically engineered foods

Four Key Government

Strategies

� Make the marketplace work for the environment

� Set high standards� Set high standards

� Invest in the environment

� Make land use an environmental issue

Does it matter what we eat?

•Toxic air pollution

•Common air pollution

•Greenhouse gases

•Pasta

•0 •5 •10 •15 •20

•Land use

•Water use

•Toxic water pollution

•Common water pollution

•Pasta

•Chicken

•Beef