Consumption, resources, and the environment: What you need to know

Consumption, resources, and the environment: What you need to know

As a Gen-Z, I was always told to take shorter showers, use reusable water bottles, and don't use plastic bags. Growing up, I was told that using biorenewable resources is what is going to save our planet, but is it? As humans, we have a direct and indirect impact on our environment, and the choices we make affect our carbon footprint. We are going to highlight some of the impacts that the production, consumption, and distribution of products and resources have on our environment. 

Moving through our day-to-day lives we have many indirect and direct impacts on our carbon footprint through what we do. Transportation, consumption, household energy, and food all have a direct impact on our environment. When we drive a car it releases carbon dioxide. Purchasing processed foods has a higher emission than fresh foods like fruits and vegetables due to the production and transportation of the product (energy education). While we may not be the ones who are using the energy when purchasing a package of chips or Lunchables, it is still being used and this would be considered an indirect influence. 

Eating less meat and animal products can also be beneficial for our environment. Did you know that when you buy a pound of beef from a cow you are using more water than taking a 20 minute shower? It has been found that it takes “1,847 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef,” which is enough water to fill 39 bathtubs (denverwater). Cows eat grass, legumes, and alfalfa which need tons of water to grow. So over an animal's lifetime, cows need a lot of water to produce these products like meat, and milk.  I am not saying that completely cutting out eating meat and animal products is the best option, but reducing the amount could be helpful for our global footprint. 

 Production and transportation of the products also play a huge role in the impact on our environment. This is called the life cycle assessment. Manufacturers use the life cycle assessment to assess the environmental impacts of their products. This looks at everything from raw material extraction to transportation, and disposal. This is important for manufacturers to do because it helps them make more sustainable choices for their products. By looking at each step companies are able to cut or add other things to ensure that they are doing what is best for the environment. 

It has been brought to our attention that we all as humans have a greater impact on the environment than we think through our direct and indirect influences. What can we do? Eating more locally sourced products, and being aware of the emissions we put into the air, could help reduce our impact on the environment. I think remembering the process of how a product was first derived to how it ended up in our hands could remind us of all the resources used. Taking these small steps will benefit our environment greatly. Will you take these steps? 

Work Cited

Lesson 2 Our Resources, Our Consumption, BBE 1002, UMN

 Kristi Delynko. “What’s the Beef with Water?” Denver Water, www.denverwater.org/tap/whats-beef-water?size=n_21_n. Accessed 23 Sept. 2023. 

“What Does Packaging Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Involve?” What Does Packaging Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Involve? | Nissha Metallizing, www.nisshametallizing.com/en/what-does-packaging-life-cycle-assessment-lca-involve#:~:text=Life%20Cycle%20Assessment%20(LCA)%20enables,to%20disposal%20or%20recycling%20processes. Accessed 23 Sept. 2023. 

“CO2 Footprint.” CO2 Footprint - Energy Education, energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/CO2_footprint#:~:text=The%20major%20contributors%20to%20carbon,one%20of%20the%20biggest%20contributors. Accessed 23 Sept. 2023. 

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