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Issue: Draining resources

Region: United States of America

Solution: Use of electrical energy instead of natural resources

How can oil companies in the U.S find other ways of giving energy to Americans without draining the world's natural resources?

Many companies want to start using renewable energy and more environmentally friendly methods. However, companies still use oil and gas but are also including clean energy into their solutions. Shell is one of the first major oil companies that are committing renewable energy. Shell has invested billions in clean energy sources such as solar, wind, and electrical. https://evchargingsummit.com/blog/oil-companies-moving-toward-renewable-energy/

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Many companies are striving towards renewable energy and embracing more environmentally friendly practices. While some oil and gas companies are making strides toward renewable energy, they haven't abandoned traditional fuel sources. Many are still producing and trading oil and gas but are now incorporating clean energy solutions into their business plans. Let's look at some major oil companies progressing towards a greener and cleaner approach to energy.

Why Should Oil & Gas Companies Move Towards Renewables?

Photo by Jason Blackeye on Unsplash

Why Are Renewables Better For Business?

Not only are renewables better for the environment, but they're also better for business. By investing in renewable energy sources, oil and gas companies can diversify their energy portfolio and reduce their overall risk while still providing reliable power to customers. Additionally, by embracing clean energy solutions, these companies can stay ahead of the curve regarding new technologies and comply with government regulations.

5 Oil & Gas Companies Making Strides Towards Renewable Energy

1. Shell

Shell is one of the first major oil players that has made a real commitment to renewable energy . They have committed billions of dollars in investments towards clean energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydrogen technology while also purchasing and integrating renewable energy companies such as Nature Energy. They're investing in renewables in crucial ways: wind, solar, electric vehicle (EV) charging, and more.

Shell is investing in developing and operating long-term commercial and industrial solar projects. For example, solar panel projects in Oman and Australia generate 25 and 120 megawatts, respectively.

2. BP

3. Chevron

Chevron is an American energy company committed to lowering its carbon emissions and has set aside $10 billion for lower carbon project funding through 2028. Their 2021 corporate sustainability report outlined a 2050 net zero aspiration and a climate change policy framework.

Include the environment in decision making

Reduce their environmental footprint

Operate responsibly

Steward their sites

These principles address seven aspects:

4. ExxonMobil

This greenhouse gas reduction plan involves a few components:

20-30% reduction in corporation-wide emission intensity

40-50% reduction in upstream emission intensity

70-80% reduction in corporation-wide methane intensity

60-70% reduction in corporation-wide flaring intensity

How Oil and Gas Companies Can Take Further Steps To Embrace Renewables

Though the measures some oil and gas companies have taken to go green can contribute to a better future for our planet, there is still much work to be done. Here are five additional steps oil and gas companies can take today:

1. Increase collaboration with renewable energy companies

2. Focus on reducing emissions

3. Invest in new technologies

4. Invest in renewable energy projects

5. Advocate for renewable energy policies

In addition to investing in renewables, oil and gas companies should advocate for policy changes that promote using renewable energy sources. This includes increasing subsidies or tax breaks for renewable energy, setting higher renewable energy targets, and supporting adopting new technologies.

By embracing these five steps, oil and gas companies can help make a real difference in our fight against climate change. They have already shown that they can progress towards their goals and will continue to do so with more investment and effort. Together, with the right strategies in place, we can ensure that the future of energy is clean and responsible.

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How Oil Companies Are Moving Toward Renewable Energy - EV...

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Oil companies are now incorporating clean energy solutions into their business plans. Here are some players contributing to a greener future.

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Climate Action is the call for action to fight climate change. Climate change has its effects on multiple countries around the world. Climate change messes with national economies and affects lives. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-action/

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Due to climate change extreme heat is occurring all around the world. Industrial waste has caused there to be a lot of pollution to our atmosphere. Green house gases are trapped in our atmosphere that increase the heat of our planet. Wildfires and poor air quality adds fire to the mess.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165597

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Extreme heat is breaking records worldwide: UN weather agency

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Extreme heat is breaking records around the world, with wildfires and poor air quality compounding the crisis, according to a report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released Thursday.

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The goal is about conserving and sustainably using the oceans. A healthy ocean is crucial for life on earth. The ocean provides natural resources such as food, medicine, and other products. However, pollution in the ocean has reached high levels with over 17 million metric tons of trash floating in our oceans expected to double by the year 2040.

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Increasing levels of debris and plastic in our oceans is also having a major economic and environmental impact. The ocean has absorbed almost 100% of the excess heat in the climate system. Ocean heat is reaching record levels, this can cause global marine heatwaves. Record breaking heat in the ocean is causing damage to rich ecosystems and killing coral reefs. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/oceans/

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Irreparable damage is done by humans to many forests that cause species extinction. This can mess up the balance of nature and makes the ecosystem vulnerable to disruptions. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/biodiversity/

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How is land life important to our health?

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How is land life important to our health?

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There has been an increase in demand for protein, an increase in intense and unsustainable farming. This has caused there to be external use and exploration of wildlife. Additionally, climate crises have cause there to be animal diseases that can be harmful to humans. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/biodiversity/

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What can we do to support life on land? 

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What can we do to support life on land? 

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Things we can do to support life on land would be recycling trash such as plastic. If we eat local based diets it can help maintain food and not overgraze. Society destroys ecosystems with urbanization. In order to help life on land we have to respect wildlife. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/biodiversity/

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Lots of movements are being done around the world, these organizations are trying to make our home clean. The world needs to change its energy, food, agriculture and forestry systems to have a more habitable planet. Climate change solutions can bring economic benefits while improving our lives and protecting our environment.

https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-change/

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The Amazon Rainforest has lost over 23 million hectares of forest in the past five years. The Amazon has lost almost as much space as the whole U.K. Deforestation impacts climate stability but it impacts the habitats of animals and homes of local tribes as well. https://infoamazonia.org/en/2023/03/21/deforestation-in-the-amazon-past-present-and-future/

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Deforestation in the Amazon: past, present and future

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According to a new study from RAISG, in just five years, the Amazon could lose almost half of what it lost in the past two decades.

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These organizations want to help animals keep their homes. These animals have lived in their designated homes since their ancestors migrated there, because of this I believe they have every to stay and not be forced to migrate elsewhere. Animals play a role in their ecosystem that helps us yet we destroy their ecosystem. Country leaders need to establish laws that protect wildlife homes.

Nations Environment Program (UNEP)

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

Earth Island Institute (EII)

Greenpeace

International Labor Organization (ILO)

National Wildlife Federation (NWF)

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Methods to help our oceans are responsible fishing, conserve water, reduce pollutants, reduce waste, and more. Responsible fishing helps marine ecosystems have a balanced population of fishes. Fishing irresponsibly has led to imbalance in ecosystems due to the importance of a fish's role in the ocean. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/ocean/help-our-ocean.html

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national oceanic and atmospheric administration

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Here are 10 simple things you can do at home, around town, on the water, or anywhere!

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The number of overfishing has tripled in half a century. This is a serious threat because it causes unnecessary loss of fish, turtles, and crustaceans. The damage overfishing does to marine ecosystems goes beyond the water. Many people around the world rely marine life as an economic source or food source. https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/overfishing

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Organizations that help life below water 

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Organizations that help life below water 

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These organizations show that some of society wants to have a healthy planet. An unbalanced marine ecosystem is horrible for our oceans. There are fish that are being overfished that have an important in their ecosystem. Humans also pay the price as it is a great food and economic source.

Oceana

Marine Megafauna Foundation

Coral Reef Alliance

Mission Blue

Surfrider Association

Project Aware

Marine Conservation Institute

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

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Organizations that help with Climate Action 

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Organizations that help with Climate Action 

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Our planet needs our help more than ever as we are the ones that are destroying it. These organizations want to keep our planet as healthy as possible. The rate that we are going at we will eventually have to find a new home as earth will become uninhabitable. I believe that there is still a probability to save our planet instead of finding a new home.

Cool Earth

Greenpeace

Environmental Defense Fund

Rainforest Allience

Climate Foundation

Opportunity Green

Climate Justice Alliance

Carbon Tracker

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India is facing an environmental crisis; plastic pollution. India has become the world's largest contributor to plastic pollution responsible for almost 20% of the worlds total plastic waste. I will focus on this region and research organizations that want to help clean India. I want to research India because most people recognize it for its pollution rather than its historical landmarks or the positive impact it has had on the world. https://www.plasticsforchange.org/blog/india-emerges-as-the-worlds-largest-plastic-polluter-what-went-wrong-and-whats-next

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Is India the World’s Largest Plastic Polluter? Causes and Solutions | Plastics For Change

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Discover how India has emerged as one of the world’s largest plastic polluters. This blog dives into the key factors behind the growing plastic waste crisis, examining what went wrong and exploring the urgent actions needed to reduce pollution, promote recycling, and protect the environment for futu

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The Mediterranean sea is the most overfished in the world, more than half of its fish stocks being at a high risk of being exhausted. Due to the Mediterranean popularity its important that we keep the sea life balanced in its waters, this is because people rely on the marine life for food and economic purposes. I want to research this because the Mediterranean is one of the most popular bodies of water in the world and its marine life is being exhausted. https://europe.oceana.org/press-releases/un-alert-mediterranean-worlds-most-overfished-sea/

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UN alert: Mediterranean is world's most overfished sea

Food security warning as one-third of global fish supply hits dangerously overfished levels

A health-check report on world fisheries and aquaculture by the United Nations (UN) has revealed that one-third of global marine fish stocks are now fished at unsustainable levels and have reached 'overfished' status. Oceana flags particular attention to the state of the Mediterranean and Black Sea, which according to the report published today, is the world's most overfished sea.

The 2018 State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) report, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) confirms a global trend toward unsustainable fishing. Thirty-three percent of global fish stocks are now overfished, a figure that is increasing year after year and which poses a threat to the marine ecosystem and food security for billions of people worldwide.

"The new report from the FAO is discouraging: it shows that the world still has a long way to go toward responsible management of our oceans. The number of overfished marine fisheries has risen over the last years. And, despite increasingly sophisticated and aggressive fishing techniques, global catch has continued to decline. This new report is only the latest data point on a disturbing trend line. Overfishing and destructive gear, habitat degradation, pollution, and short-term thinking have limited the amount of wild seafood available to humanity. And these same problems continue to threaten the health of the ocean and all the species that live there," said Andrew Sharpless, chief executive officer of Oceana.

One of the most worrying findings from the "SOFIA" Report is the extent of the overfishing crisis in the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

"It's confirmed. The Mediterranean Sea is the most overfished in the world, with 62% of its fish stocks now overfished and at serious and real risk of being depleted. Nobody wants a sea so familiar to many of us to have no fish for people to eat or no more jobs and livelihoods for those who depend on fishing in the region. This shocking situation must be a wake-up call for immediate political action," said Lasse Gustavsson, executive director of Oceana in Europe. "The Mediterranean Sea needs urgent and bold action such as curbing bottom-trawling fishing, safeguarding areas where fish grow, and setting annual fish catch limits in line with scientific advice," added Gustavsson.
Learn more about the Mediterranean Sea here

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UN alert: Mediterranean is world's most overfished sea

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A health-check report on world fisheries and aquaculture by the United Nations (UN) has revealed that one-third of global marine fish stocks are now fished at unsustainable levels and have reached 'overfished' status. Oceana flags particular attention to the state of the Mediterranean and Black Sea, which according to the report published today, is the ...

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More than 80% of the Forest that goes through Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay is gone due to agriculture, logging, and infrastructure. Restoration efforts are starting to fight the splitting of this biodiversity core. These efforts also come with strategies to preserve endangered species such as jaguars. "Reduced deforestation and the restoration of thousands of hectacres of former forest land has helped jaguar population rise by 160% since 2005." I want to research the Atlantic Forest because it's in the shadow of the Amazon Rainforest and doesn't get the recognition it deserves. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/back-brink-six-species-saved-ecosystem-restoration

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All around the world, on land and in the oceans, crashing populations of plants, animals and insects have sparked fears that planet Earth is entering its sixth mass extinction, with catastrophic consequences for both people and nature.

One million of the world's estimated 8 million species are threatened with extinction. Ecosystem services essential for human wellbeing, including the provision of food and freshwater and protection from disasters and disease, are eroding in many places.

But hope is not lost. Under the umbrella of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, efforts are underway to revive battered terrestrial and marine habitats, from mountains and mangroves to forests and farmlands.

As well as supplying critical benefits for people, restored ecosystems are a refuge for many endangered species. Here are six threatened mammals, reptiles and birds stepping back from the brink of extinction with help from restoration.

Saiga stepping up

A goat-sized antelope with a comically big nose, saiga once roamed in the millions across grasslands from Europe to China. But overhunting, the loss of habitat and migration routes, and outbreaks of disease have cut them down to remnant populations in Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia.

Restoration efforts, including the Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative in Kazakhstan, are protecting and revitalizing some 7.5 million ha of steppe, semi-desert and desert and are already seeing results. Despite the mass die-off of 200,000 saigas in 2015, the Kazakh population has bounced back from fewer than 50,000 animals in 2006 to over 1.3 million today.

Gorillas climbing

Confined to two misty forests in central Africa, there are only about 1,000 mountain gorillas in the wild. Yet that figure represents a steady increase since the 1980s and a reward for consequent protection and restoration work that is resulting in tourism revenue for protected area authorities and communities.

Half of the remaining gorillas inhabit the volcano-dotted Virunga Massif, whose tripartite protected area straddles the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Threats, including insecurity as well as climate change and disease, mean the great apes remain endangered.

Restoration work in the region has included the rehabilitation of more than 1,000 hectares in Uganda's Mgahinga Gorilla National Park with the removal of exotic trees so that native forest species can return, and there are plans to restore much more in the region.

More spotted Jaguar

While the need to preserve the Amazon draws deserved attention, a focus for restoration falls on its less-well-known neighbour the Atlantic Forest. More than 80 per cent of the vast forest that stretched along the Brazilian coast and into Paraguay and Argentina has been lost to things like agriculture, logging and infrastructure.

Wide-ranging restoration efforts are underway to counter the severe fragmentation of this biodiversity hotspot. They include the regeneration of forest on abandoned land and the creation of wildlife corridors between protected areas, strategies that are helping preserve predators like near-threatened jaguars and margays.

The world's most southerly population of jaguars roams the Upper Paraná region of the Atlantic Forest straddling the borders between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Here, reduced deforestation and the restoration of thousands of hectares of former forest land have helped the jaguar population rise by an estimated 160 per cent since 2005.

Keeping the Dugong grazing

Restoring ecosystems is just as important in the water as on the land. In the ocean, vital habitats that have suffered destruction and degradation include seagrass meadows, which are essential for marine species, including dugong as well as the fish that support coastal communities around the globe.

Dolphin-like dugongs, whose gentle expression and liking for shallow water may lie behind old tales of mermaids, have vanished from much of their once-vast range due to hunting, entanglement in fishing gear and the loss of the seagrass on which they feed.

But restoration and protection in the last few strongholds - which include Australia, Mozambique and the Arabian Gulf - offer hope that the ocean's only herbivorous mammal can avoid extinction. In the United Arab Emirates, for instance, Abu Dhabi plans to restore another 12,000 hectares of mangroves, coral reefs and seagrass meadows on top of 7,500 hectares already revived.

Accelerating Racers

Animals and plants unique to islands and archipelagos are especially vulnerable to extinction, like the giant wingless moas of New Zealand or the dark flying fox of Mauritius and Reunion. But islands are also fertile ground for the ecological restoration of endangered species.

The Antiguan racer is a harmless snake endemic to the twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. Non-native mongooses introduced in the 1890s to control rats feasted on the snakes and their lizard prey with the result that, by 1995, only about 50 racers survived on a single offshore islet.

Restoration efforts have since cleared several islands of invasive predators, moving their ecosystems back toward a natural state, and the racers now number more than 1,100 individuals spread across four sites. Bird colonies on the islands have also made spectacular recoveries thanks to the removal of predators.

Bitterns booming

In the United Kingdom, restoring natural processes in degraded wetlands and at former industrial landscapes has revived an iconic waterbird as well as providing opportunities for rest and recreation to people in nearby urban centres.

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Back from the brink: Six species saved by ecosystem restoration

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All around the world, on land and in the oceans, crashing populations of plants, animals and insects have sparked fears that planet Earth is entering its sixth mass extinction, with catastrophic consequences for both people and nature. One million of the world's estimated 8 million species are threatened with extinction.

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The consequences of overconsumption are long-term future impacts. Researchers say that by 2050 polluted air will kill 3 times the people as it had in 2000. Pollution in our oceans is expected to quadruple, and global oil reserves are predicted to have been exhausted by 2052. If we continue to drain Earth's resources faster than they can be made we will eventually drain everything which can threaten our existence. Some of the consequences caused by overconsumption are already visible as there is 6.6 million tons of plastic waste that ends up in waters every year destroying coastal communities. Brazilian rainforest are destroyed to make lumber, or to make way for mining and agricultural development. I want to research overconsumption as its important to not that everything has an important and shouldn't be used excessively as its important to save what we can. https://sentientmedia.org/overconsumption/

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Explainer

You likely contribute to overconsumption in ways you might not realize.

Of all the human practices that are gradually destroying the environment, overconsumption is one of the most significant and least discussed. We are using up our planet's resources faster than they can regenerate, and a look at how overconsumption affects the environment and global health makes it abundantly clear that if we want to continue living on planet Earth, we need to make some serious changes, and fast.

What Is Overconsumption?

Simply put, overconsumption is when humans consume more resources than we produce. At the smallest scale, this occurs at the individual level, but overconsumption is more commonly measured on a country-wide, continent-wide or planet-wide basis. No matter how you look at it, the upshot is the same: if we use resources at a faster rate than we can regrow or extract them, we'll eventually run out of resources.

Sadly, this is exactly what we're doing.

Is Overconsumption Getting Worse?

Consumption rates differ wildly from region to region, but on the whole, we're consuming the planet's resources 1.7 times faster than they can regenerate, according to the Guardian. This means that in the long run, we'd need 1.7 Earths to sustain our current levels of consumption, which is obviously unsustainable. It wasn't always like this: back in 1961, humanity only needed 0.74 Earths to support its consumption levels.

This shift is partially attributable to population growth; the worldwide population has more than doubled since 1961, and our use of resources has closely tracked that growth. Between 1985 and 2005, worldwide resource extraction increased by around 50 percent, according to a report by the environmental nonprofit Friends of the Earth, in large part to support the growing population.

But this change isn't solely the result of population growth, as per-capita consumption has steadily risen over the decades as well.

For instance, between 1970 and 2021, U.S. consumer spending has increased by an astounding 400 percent. However, the population has only grown by 60 percent, meaning individuals themselves are consuming more than they used to.

How Food Contributes to Overconsumption

Meat consumption in particular has risen dramatically over the decades. In 1961, the average person in a high-income country ate around 123 pounds of meat per year, but by 2020, they were consuming 199 pounds of meat per year. This same trend holds in upper-middle-income and lower-middle-income countries as well.

Perhaps the most frustrating element of the consumption equation, though, is the astonishing amount of food that is extracted but not eaten. A staggering one-third of all food on the planet is wasted every year, and around one-fourth of all animals killed for food are never actually eaten. Some of this is due to businesses and individuals throwing away leftovers, but a much bigger share of food - almost 50 percent - is lost during the production process itself. Whether it's crop pests, livestock diseases or animals dying in transit, our current system of food production results in around 1.3 billion tons of wasted food annually, which is also an enormous contributor to overconsumption.

Who's Most Responsible for Overconsumption

Although consumption has steadily increased around the world, it would be unfair to suggest that everybody - or every country - is equally responsible for pulling humanity across the threshold into unsustainability.

A mere 20 percent of the population consumes 80 percent of the world's resources, and unsurprisingly, it's the richer, more developed countries that do most of the consuming. In North America, the average person consumes nine times as many natural resources as the average person in Africa.

The Consequences of Overconsumption

Many researchers and organizations have attempted to predict the long-term future impacts of overconsumption, and - spoiler alert - the predictions are pretty grim. The grimmest would probably be the World Wildlife Fund's 2002 declaration that, absent a stark change in consumption rates, Earth "will expire by 2050." More recent predictions haven't been quite as bleak, but they're still not good.

The Organisation For Economic Cooperation and Development predicts that by 2050, polluted air will kill three times as many people as it already has. Plastic in the ocean is expected to quadruple over that same period, according to the WWF, while the Millennium Alliance for Humanity and Biosphere warns that global oil reserves could be entirely depleted by 2052.

It makes sense that much of the discussion about overconsumption focuses on long-term projections; if we continue to use our planet's resources faster than they can be generated, we'll eventually run out of resources, which would quite literally threaten humanity's existence.

But we don't need to theorize about the future to understand the impact of overconsumption, as it's already had many observable and regrettable consequences. These consequences take many different forms, depending on the resource and the region.

Overconsumption's Impact on the Environment and Health

Overconsumption is inextricably linked to natural resource extraction. Brazilian rainforests are razed to produce lumber, or to clear the way for mining and agricultural development. Copper is used to make everything from kitchen sinks and jewelry to electrical wires and cell phones. And of course, oil is mined to fuel the many vehicles humans use to travel the world.

One stark example of how the over-extraction of resources affects the environment and health is the Niger Delta. The Niger Delta is one of the world's largest wetlands, and was once a rich and fertile ecosystem with thriving farmlands and fisheries. However, nearly a century of oil extraction has wrought havoc on the region's ecosystem and inhabitants. Thanks to the harmful chemicals that are released into the air during the oil extraction process, it now rains acid in the Niger Delta, which corrodes roofs and building structures, destroys crops and pollutes water sources across the delta.

But the human toll of this resource extraction is even more horrifying. Many residents of the delta suffer from breathing problems and chronic bronchitis, and a 2021 study found that cancer rates are much higher in the delta than in non-oil-producing parts of Nigeria. Tragically, as a result of these and other adverse health effects of oil extraction, the life expectancy in the Niger Delta is just 40 years.

This is just one region and one resource, but there are similar cases around the world. In Peru, copper mining and smelting has created water shortages and polluted the air so much that in one town, a study found that 99 percent of children had lead poisoning.

In Brazil, almost 20 percent of the entire Amazon has been deforested, according to the Council For Foreign Relations, largely for logging and cattle farming. As a result of this widespread destruction, there has been mass soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and increased CO2 emissions in the Amazon. Deforestation has also killed scores of animals who live in the Amazon and endangered the livelihoods of local indigenous people.

Overfishing and Its Impact on Overconsumption

Meanwhile, oceans around the world have been overfished to produce seafood, which poses a serious threat to fish populations. Overfishing occurs when people catch fish and other sea creatures at a higher rate than they can reproduce. The practice has put over one-third of all sharks, rays and chimeras at risk of going extinct, according to the WWF, and around one-third of all fisheries are now at risk of depopulation thanks to overfishing, according to the Sierra Club.

It's also cost people jobs: When Canada's Grand Banks cod fishery collapsed in 1992 due to overfishing, over 35,000 people who worked in the local seafood industry were put out of work.

Given how widespread overfishing is, it's no surprise that the seafood industry is also one of the biggest offenders when it comes to food waste. As previously mentioned, around a quarter of all animals farmed for food are never eaten - but that number rises to almost 50 percent when it comes to seafood, according to the Sierra Club.

All of this resource extraction can be linked back to overconsumption. Oceans are overfished to feed global demand for seafood, which is expected to double by 2050.

How to Limit Your Own Overconsumption

So, how can we go about reversing these trends? At the most fundamental level, the answer is obvious: By consuming less. But how do we do that?

There are plenty of practical steps individuals can take to reduce their consumption. Using reusable containers and products as opposed to disposable ones is a great place to start; for instance, you might get a reusable coffee filter instead of paper filters, or start taking your own grocery bag to the supermarket. Switching to paperless billing, buying food in glass containers instead of plastic ones, and using a hybrid or electric vehicle are also good opportunities to use fewer natural resources in your day-to-day life.

Another way of fighting overconsumption is to reduce your meat and dairy consumption. Meat production is terrible for the planet, and those of us in the global north already eat much more meat than we need to. Adopting a plant-based diet is another excellent way to bring your individual consumption down to more sustainable levels.

However, some activists have argued that the best way for individuals to consume fewer resources is to simply to spend less money across the board, regardless of what that money is spent on.

JB MacKinnon, a Canadian journalist and author of the book " The Day The World Stopped Shopping," is one such person. He has written and spoken at length about the dangers of overconsumption, and argues that the adoption of green technology - well-intentioned as it may be - is ultimately less effective in protecting the environment than reducing consumption of all products, green or not, across the board.

"If you want a rule of thumb for how much impact you're having as a consumer, the best one is: how much money are you spending?," MacKinnon told the Guardian. "If it's increasing, you're probably increasing your impact; if it's lowering, you're probably lowering your impact."

As an example, MacKinnon points to cars. Pushing for more energy-friendly cars on the roads is fine, but the better long-term approach would be to create a society where there are fewer cars on the road in total.

"When people buy less stuff, you get immediate drops in emissions, resource consumption and pollution, unlike anything we've achieved with green technology," MacKinnon said. "Many people would like to see the world consume fewer resources, yet we constantly avoid the most obvious means of achieving that."

At the end of the day, these two strategies for lowering consumption aren't mutually exclusive. It's entirely possible to prioritize using green technology while also buying fewer things across the board - and that's exactly what anyone who wants to reduce their consumption should do.

Overconsumption can be a tricky issue to conceptualize because on the most basic level, we all need to consume in order to survive. It's also not fair to solely blame individuals for this problem, as modern society is structured in a way that encourages overconsumption. But the wide-reaching environmental and global health consequences of our current practices make it abundantly clear that we're consuming a lot more than we need to. Unless we make a change, overconsumption will destroy our ecosystems - and possibly humanity's ability to live within them.

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How Overconsumption Affects the Environment and Health, Explained

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You likely contribute to overconsumption in ways you might not realize.

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Temperature in the Arctic rises at three times the annual average. Rising temperatures cause snow and ice to melt at an increasing rate. The changes in temperature mess with local ecosystems and the global climate system. Additionally, the melting ice adds to rising sea levels overtime coastal cities will be submerged. This shows the significance of raising awareness of Arctic climate change globally. I want to research Arctic climate change because of its significance to the world and were basically destroying our survivability if we continue to ignore the rising temperatures. https://arctic-council.org/explore/topics/climate/

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The temperatures in the Arctic continue to rise at three times the global annual average.

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Issue: Green house gases

Region: China

Solution: Find a clean method for technological production

How can Chinese leaders deal with their technological production that made an impact on green house gases that affect our atmosphere?

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Issue: Water levels

Region: Arctic

Solution: Decrease rising temperature with clean energy and less pollution

How can global leaders help Arctic climates with rising temperatures that can later impact water levels?

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Issue: Draining resources

Region: United States of America

Solution: Use electrical energy instead of mechanical

How can oil companies in the U.S find other ways of fueling cars in the U.S without extracting fossil fuels?

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Saudi Arabia is known as one of largest oil producers alongside America. Saudi Arabia plans on becoming less reliable on oil as an economic source. Saudi Arabia has found a new approach in investing into renewable energy. Through partnerships with China, Saudi Arabia has had fast progress with renewable energy. https://www.energypolicy.columbia.edu/saudi-arabias-renewable-energy-initiatives-and-their-geopolitical-implications/

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Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA | CGEP

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Saudi Arabia’s Renewable Energy Initiatives and Their Geopolitical Implications - Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA | CGEP %

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