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https://www.sciencealert.com/consum...he-environment-than-anything-else-study-finds
"We all like to put the blame on someone else, the government, or businesses," said Ivanova. "But between 60–80 per cent of the impacts on the planet come from household consumption. If we change our consumption habits, this would have a drastic effect on our environmental footprint as well.
When you look at the impacts of consumers based on where they live, the researchers found a pattern: the richer a country is, the more its inhabitants consume, and the greater each person’s impact on the planet. Food is of particular importance here. Rich nations eat more meat, dairy produce, and processed food, which have a huge impact on land and water resources.
In the researchers’ analysis, the US is the worst performer when it comes to per capita greenhouse gas emissions, with a carbon footprint of 18.6 tonnes CO2 equivalent. Luxembourg is second with 18.5 tonnes, followed by Australia with 17.7 tonnes.
By contrast, China’s per capita carbon footprint is just 1.8 tonnes CO2, and the global average is 3.4 tonnes.
None of which is intended to shame the inhabitants of rich countries, although the researchers hope that with a clearer picture of how consumer behaviour contributes to environmental impact, each of us might make positive changes in our personal approach to consumption."
"We all like to put the blame on someone else, the government, or businesses," said Ivanova. "But between 60–80 per cent of the impacts on the planet come from household consumption. If we change our consumption habits, this would have a drastic effect on our environmental footprint as well.
When you look at the impacts of consumers based on where they live, the researchers found a pattern: the richer a country is, the more its inhabitants consume, and the greater each person’s impact on the planet. Food is of particular importance here. Rich nations eat more meat, dairy produce, and processed food, which have a huge impact on land and water resources.
In the researchers’ analysis, the US is the worst performer when it comes to per capita greenhouse gas emissions, with a carbon footprint of 18.6 tonnes CO2 equivalent. Luxembourg is second with 18.5 tonnes, followed by Australia with 17.7 tonnes.
By contrast, China’s per capita carbon footprint is just 1.8 tonnes CO2, and the global average is 3.4 tonnes.
None of which is intended to shame the inhabitants of rich countries, although the researchers hope that with a clearer picture of how consumer behaviour contributes to environmental impact, each of us might make positive changes in our personal approach to consumption."