The document discusses issues related to resource consumption and environmental problems. It notes that increasing world population, production and consumption of goods, and income inequality have damaged natural resources and the environment. It also discusses global consumption patterns, with the richest 20% accounting for over 75% of consumption while the poorest 20% account for just 1.5%. The document raises questions about how consumption impacts the environment, society, and individuals and explores factors that influence consumption habits.

1. Resources and Consumption

2. What Causes Environmental Problems In recent decades, three ,major trends have been responsible for the damage to our natural resources base and the natural environment Increases world population Increased production and consumption of material goods Widening of the income gap between the very rich and very poor

3. Global Income Distribution 1960 - 1989 59 to 1 1.4 82.7 1990 45 to 1 1.7 76.3 1980 32 to 1 2.3 73.9 1970 30 to 1 2.3 70.2 1960 Poorest 20% Richest 20% Ratio of richest to Poorest Share of global Income Share of global Income Year

4. Global inequality in consumption, while reducing, is still high. Using latest figures available, in 2005, the wealthiest 20% of the world accounted for 76.6% of total private consumption. The poorest fifth just 1.5%:

6. Inequalities in consumption are stark. Globally, the 20% of the world’s people in the highest-income countries account for 86% of total private consumption expenditures — the poorest 20% a minuscule 1.3%. More specifically, the richest fifth: Consume 45% of all meat and fish, the poorest fifth 5% Consume 58% of total energy, the poorest fifth less than 4% Have 74% of all telephone lines, the poorest fifth 1.5% Consume 84% of all paper, the poorest fifth 1.1% Own 87% of the world’s vehicle fleet, the poorest fifth less than 1% Runaway growth in consumption in the past 50 years is putting strains on the environment never before seen.

7. We consume a variety of resources and products today having moved beyond basic needs to include luxury items and technological innovations to try to improve efficiency. Such consumption beyond minimal and basic needs is not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, as throughout history we have always sought to find ways to make our lives a bit easier to live. However, increasingly, there are important issues around consumerism that need to be understood. For example:

8. How are the products and resources we consume actually produced? What are the impacts of that process of production on the environment, society, on individuals? What are the impacts of certain forms of consumption on the environment, on society, on individuals? Which actors influence our choices of consumption? Which actors influence how and why things are produced or not? What is a necessity and what is a luxury? How do demands on items affect the requirements placed upon the environment? How do consumption habits change as societies change? Businesses and advertising are major engines in promoting the consumption of products so that they may survive. How much of what we consume is influenced by their needs versus our needs? Also influential is the very culture of today in many countries, as well as the media and the political institutions themselves. What is the impact on poorer nations and people on the demands of the wealthier nations and people that are able to afford to consume more? How do material values influence our relationships with other people?

9. Human Footprint http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcu-xaXUHCc http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index.html

10. Human Footprint or Ecological Footprint The ecological footprint is a measure of human demand on the Earth's ecosystems. It compares human demand with planet Earth's ecological capacity to regenerate. It is possible to estimate how much of the Earth (or how many planet Earths) it would take to support humanity if everybody lived a given lifestyle. For 2005, humanity's total ecological footprint was estimated at 1.3 planet Earths - in other words, humanity uses ecological services 1.3 times as fast as Earth can renew them.

11. Take a Quiz http://www.myfootprint.org/en/visitor_information/ http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index.html http://www.kidsfootprint.org/ Calculator http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/ecological_footprint_calculator.htm Food For Thought

12. Climate Change Climate change is any long-term change in the patterns of average weather of a specific region or the Earth as a whole. Climate change reflects abnormal variations to the Earth's climate and subsequent effects on other parts of the Earth

13. 3 Major Affects Increase In Temperature Altering Precipitation level Rising Sea levels However many other changes around the earth will result form these changes Ex

14. Global Warming National Geographic

15. Global Warming Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-twentieth century and its projected continuation. Global surface temperature increased 0.74 ° C during the last century.

16. Greenhouse Effect The greenhouse effect is the heating of the surface of a planet due to the presence of gases that absorb and emit infrared radiation Greenhouse gases, which include water vapor, carbon dioxide and methane. Thus, greenhouse gases trap heat within the surface-troposphere system.

17. Climate Change http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nZjrPoAlbU

18. Global Warming Cartoon http://www.globalissues.org/issue/178/climate-change-and-global-warming