Econundrum: Household Conservation Smackdown

Eating less meat is very big. I don't have the stats right now, but it's right up there with the cars.

Meat is the most resource-intensive food on the table and eating less of it can be the single most green move a person makes. Producing meat requires huge amounts of water, grain, land, and other inputs including hormones and antibiotics, and leads to pollution of soil, air, and water. A pound of beef requires around 12,000 gallons of water to produce, compared to 60 gallons for a pound of potatoes.

If you’re a meat eater, try cutting out a serving of meat each week ( visit Meatless Monday). Going vegetarian or vegan is a profoundly meaningful environmental choice.

Every day is Earth Day.

Where did you get these numbers? I know that you referenced "researchers at Oregon State University." But, why not state their names? It would be helpful to have referenced an actual publication or website where readers can verify this information and learn more about how (and when) these calculations were made.

Despite all the life danger, with one selfless act from one common person, someone is saved, A hero is made.

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How many MoJo correspondents does it take to change a lightbulb? I don't know it’s just sooooo overwhelming!! Please, can we talk about how to make real changes, not just easy ways to make ourselves feel better about being the world’s most heinous over-consumers?

Reducing family size is a great start; choosing to have fewer children ourselves and supporting programs to give women around the world access to birth control is one of the most effective ways to reduce the demand on global resources.

Reducing water consumption is also of utmost importance; considering that North Americans use almost 5 times the world’s average. If we’re going to talk about appliances, don’t forget that changing out old toilets and top loading washing machines will also make an impact.

As for driving, yes driving a couple miles a week less is great. How about not driving at all? I quit years ago, and it feels great not to complain about gas prices, or insurance rates or traffic. It’s not an option for everyone but why not try carpooling? When I stand at the bus stop I count the number of passengers in every vehicle that passes me by, 29 times out of 30 there is a single person driving a car that can fit 5. Most of these are crawling to work in the downtown core; now I’m no mathematician but wouldn’t it be faster if there were fewer cars on the road?

Others have mentioned it, but choosing to eat a vegetarian diet reduces water consumption dramatically when you consider that a kg of beef takes 13, 000 L of water to produce and a kg of grain between 1000- 1500 L (not to mention the grain it takes to feed the animals that could be feeding people).

And what about our obsession with having the newest gadgetry? North Americans replace cell phones on average every 18 months, even if they are not broken; the majority of those head straight to the dump. The same is true for laptops, PCs and a myriad of other electronic products; the result is a 32 fold consumption rate of oil and metal resources compared to developing countries. I shudder to think what will result when these countries have “developed” our voracious appetite for resources as well. Moving away from oil and consumables and moving towards renewable resources will also contribute to conservation. If we’re talking about things to do at home, why not install a few solar panels, or an on-demand hot water system and keep using products until they they have lost their functionality, not just their cool.

We must lead by example. Sure recycling newspapers, magazines and plastic bottles saves our carbon footprint, but what would we save if we didn’t buy them in the first place? Despite what the economists and advertising agents tell us, excess consumer spending doesn’t equate to happiness or economic stability, and is a certain recipe for environmental disaster.

We are faced with big problems that require big changes to our daily routines, which will require more than changing a couple of light bulbs; the alternative could be complete global collapse. Now THAT'S a little overwhelming.

Is having kids the worst thing you can do for the enviroment? Definitely.

However, if only people who don't care for the environment have kids, there won't be many kids growing up to care for the environment.