Consumerism negatively impacts the environment in three main ways according to the document. First, mass production of food and other goods requires exponential resources that damage the environment. Second, the waste left over from consumerism like plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch also hurts the environment. Third, overconsumption of natural resources is increasing and causing issues. The causes of this include growing reliance on newly available products and increased global usage of resources. Solutions proposed are recycling programs, reducing consumption, and alternatives to fertilizers made from mass-produced meat.