People always say not to buy fast fashion, but why? If the clothes are already there in the store what difference does it make if I buy them? You have probably also heard of supply and demand. When there is high demand for a product, more supply will be made. When you buy clothes, decor, etc. from fast fashion stores you are creating demand. Then, companies create more supply to meet this demand. If we keep up this mindset that what we buy doesn't matter, then companies will keep creating supply, and damaging the earth.

I agree, and I think a way to bring down the demand is for more people to switch to thrift shopping. It is much more environmentally sound, it saves money, and as an added bonus makes you swaggier. The more people who switch to this environmentally sound way to shop, the less demand the stores will recieve, and the less they will produce, ultimaely leading to much less waste from clothing items. Although thrifting is a great way to reduce personal global impact, I believe there also needs to be more laws and regulations in the clothing industry because fast fashion is thriving despite having a continuously bigger impact on the environment. There needs to be a limit on the amount of clothing items that can be produced at once, ensuring the least amount of excess stock.

The strong want to be able to have the popular things/items that are seen all over the internet, muddle the opinion of whether it is actually needed, or do we want it so bad that it feels like we need it? Lots of things are bought because someone wants it, but when something is needed, people noticeably slack on buy that item because it isn't wanted.

These days a lot of people buy useless clothes that they never wear. I don't think that these people realize the harm they are doing to our planet by doing that. Until I joined this project I didn't even realize that just simple shopping can endanger our planet. So, next time you shop. Make sure that you buy only the most necessary things or shop in second hand shops. That way you can save money and our planet.

I agree with this completely. More recently I've found myself feeling similar wanting to buy less but for a different reason, I wanted to not buy clothes to have sitting in my wardrobe that I don't wear. Feeling bad due to the number of these clothes I have. But now this website has enforced my intuition and now puts into perspective the role that I have even when shopping. Also I do love to indulge in second hand shopping due to finding cool, old, and not ridiculously priced, makes me thrift frequently. I sort out clothes while shopping personally by thinking do I really need it? Then another way to help the clothing cycle is selling, or donating your clothes thus helping buyers not purchase new for no reason when you can get it cheaper, and saving people from throwing away there old clothes.

You are right about how buying too many clothes can harm the planet. A lot of people don't realize that buying clothes that they are never gonna wear is gonna take up space in their closet, and it contributes to massive amounts of waste and pollution, as the fashion industry is one of the top global polluters. I had a similar realization when I watched a documentary on fast fashion and saw how much water is used just to produce a single T-shirt. Since then, I’ve started shopping more intentionally, focusing on quality over quantity and choosing second-hand stores when possible. Your point about saving both money and the planet is important and practical—it’s a small step that can make a big difference if more people adopt it.

I agree that lots of people today buy clothes just to buy them and never end up wearing them. I think trends contribute to that because people like to buy what's popular now. The bad thing is that trends change quickly, and the more people buy into trends and buy unnecessary things, the more it harms our planet. For me, I try to limit myself when going shopping, and if I see clothing I like, I always ask myself, "Would I actually wear this frequently?" I find this limits me from buying more and spending more. I hope more people come to the realization that we are harming our planet, and this will have a massive impact on the future, or even now. If you're going to buy clothes, be honest with yourself about whether or not you are going to wear them or toss them after a few months, and it ends up in a dump.

Being mindful before buying something and not buying unnecessary products.

A lot of the time I have the experience of buying something that I don't really need but feel like it will make me happy. This may be a response to boredom, however a goal I for myself is to find something else to occupy myself with instead of adding to overconsumption and waste. These harmful materialistic behaviors are something I know a lot of teenagers and people in general struggle with, as due to media the solution to every problem seems to be a new product. This wasteful mindset is part of the reason our planet is in such a bad state. An example of this is the floating trash islands in the ocean and the piles of old products and trash in third world countries that are direct results of our consumer driven society. A way to combat this is to think about if you really NEED something before buying it or if it will just collect dust in your home before you throw it out and it pollutes our environment.

Product shipping and delivery is a significant contributor to climate change. Although freight shipping accounts for 3% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, the numbers could rise dramatically in the next couple of decades. Additionally, not only does international shipping and delivery result in the burning of fossil fuels for transporting goods long distances, but it also oftentimes result in a lot of excess packaging and plastic waste. The alternative to this is shopping in-stores or supporting local businesses to reduce the amount of fossil fuels being burned for transportation and the amount of plastic waste from excess packaging. Unless it's imperative to buy something online or internationally, it's overall more environmentally friendly to buy local in order to reduce your carbon footprint from shipping.

Having the latest technology is definitely a want, not a need. I've been using the same iPhone 12 since sixth grade and the same HP computer since fifth grade, and they still function perfectly well for everything I need. I’ve felt the urge to upgrade just because a newer version came out, but constantly buying the latest phones, headphones, or computers contributes to environmental harm, since the production and disposal of electronics generate a significant amount of waste and pollution. Most of the time, the upgrades are minor and don’t justify the environmental cost. Breaking the habit of always needing the newest tech starts with being more mindful and asking whether you truly need a new device or just want it. Educating yourself about the environmental impact can help shift your mindset toward using what you have for as long as possible.

People never seem to think about what their purchases could do to the environment or will they even use them at all. People should actually think if they need something when at the check out line. All people should get to get items that they enjoy but that should not come at the cost of Earth.

I agree, people do not think about the consequences to their actions.

I agree with this, people are not thinking about what they're buying and how that will impact other people and organisms. I think treating yourself to something unnecessary once in a while is a good thing, like a treat if you pass a test or a reward for doing something difficult. As a society, we can struggle to think about how our actions that we are taking now are going to affect others in future generations. If you want to buy something just because it's cheap, think about if you are actually going to use for a long time. Otherwise it would end up adding to our landfills.

I think you're right, I don't really think that some bag or shirt is worth it. We should really need to consider about second-hand shops instead od making huge amounts of clothes. Making our own clothes from old ones or from other kinds of fabric is really good way to recycle and refresh our wardrobe and it's good for environment.

I fully agree with you. Impulsive shopping has been normalized to the point where it's concerning, especially online. People just add stuff to their cart without a second thought. They don't even check the sites they order from and how much Carbon emits into the atmosphere by the shipping and transport of their order, aside from the production itself. We are absolutely allowed to buy things we want and like, not just necessities, but there is a clear line between a few funky purchases and full-on overconsupmtion and shopping addiction.

I completely agree with you. Many people don't realize the harm they are doing to our planet by buying industrially made food. I think that we should grow more food ourselves, and that way, we can take care of our planet and enjoy a delicious meal. Regarding the clothes we wear, I agree that we should shop more from second-hand shops because there are a lot of great clothes, so you can look good and reduce your carbon footprint.

You're right. Not a lot of people know just how harmful their purchases can be, whether it be food, clothes, or electronics. I think thrifting is one of the best ways to help with this problem. Me and my sister regularly to go thrift stores near us for a small electronic we want or new clothes.

I agree that although shopping can be a fun day outing we constantly overlook the destructive impacts it has on our planet. I myself love to shop, and it is a good stress reliever for me but I think shopping has normalized a culture of overlooking morality. One of the most popular stores for teenage girls to shop at is Brandy Melville, a brand that has openly presenting a fat-shaming environment fueled by it's one size fits all clothing. Fast fashion companies such as SHEIN and Temu release excess fossil fuels and carbon dioxide into the environment and exploit their workers. Nevertheless, million still flock to these stores to buy the newest trending items or for the best price. I feel like the fact that we as a society know these issues exist and still choose to shop and over-consume goods attributes to why climate change/global warming has gotten so bad today.

I agree that people buy things just for themselves, and they don't think about how if affects anything or anybody else. When most people buy things (for example clothes), they get that initial joy. But once this temporary high goes away, the object is still there and it litters the environment. People should buy things with meaning and not just to satisfy their compulsive buying habits. That's why I think thrifting is so special. Different get to enjoy the same piece of clothing, and at the same time, they get it for cheaper and higher quality.

One large contributor to co2 emissions is fast fashion. These clothes are marketed as cheap and trendy, but they don't last and are harmful to the environment. Many people ignore this because they are attracted to the low cost of these clothes. Another way to find clothing at a low cost is thrifting. Thrifting is a good way to get clothing for cheaper without taking a large toll on the environment. We already have more clothes than we need in our world, so we don't need to be adding to that by buying low-quality clothing just because of it's price. Instead we can thrift used clothing that is higher quality and in many cases will last longer.

Consumers are always obsessed with the latest fashion trends and newest clothing items, but most of the time fail to realize what goes into creating the items they wear and own. People do not take into consideration the production of the good and how damaging the manufacturing process is to the environment.For example, clothing production use excessive amounts of water. Additionally, once trends fade and the hottest clothing style isn't as relevant anymore, these clothes get thrown away, contributing to large landfill dumps. The materials used in these clothing items take hundreds of years to biodegrade and are extremely damaging. Popular fast fashion brands (ex: Shein, Zara, H&M), produce clothes faster than consumers can buy, causing more than half of the clothes to end up in the dumps. Often times, purchasing new clothes is not even a NEED it is a WANT. If a person has clothes in their closet that fit them, there is really no need to go out and buy new clothing items, just for them to be worn once and then thrown away. Overall, Fast Fashion and Overconsumption negatively impact the environment.

I believe it comes down to want and needs at the end of the day, because we need minimal things to survive, yet what we want is so much more. For example, we only need 10-15 minute showers, but what we want is a long 30-minute shower. In addition, all we need is just some simple warm clothes, but we want 20 to 30 dollar new clothes from a new brand. If one day we learn to separate our wants and our needs and only take what we need we might just be able to make a real difference in our world. I have many things that I think I need or just want, and if I learn to cut that out of my life I could live more resourcefully and build a more sustainable environment.

A nature.com article reads that "it's estimated that a search driven by generative AI uses four to five times the energy of a conventional web search" (Crawford, 2024). Using ChatGPT, even for just a simple prompt, uses water and energy, which affects its carbon footprint. Generative AI like ChatGPT has a massive carbon footprint because it goes through energy at an alarming rate, and this is often not renewable or environmentally-friendly energy due to cost factors. Many people, especially teenagers, use ChatGPT for just about everything, from doing their homework to looking up simple questions--two tasks that can easily be accomplished other ways (such as doing their homework themselves or using Google as a search engine). This is why the question of whether or not Gen-AI like ChatGPT is a want or a need is so relevant today. AI usage has never been so common, and it's important to remember the huge carbon footprint you are leaving behind when you use Gen-AIs to look something up or complete a task.

Source:
Nature.com Article

Plane flights increase our carbon footprint much more than other things, and it is also very popular to go on multiple flights a year. We need to find a solution to reduce flight carbon production, or as a society take less flights in general. Is travel a want or a need? Of course travel is a great experience, but at what cost?

What makes an electronic a want or a need? I think no electronics are truly needed, but it's just normal to have electronics like televisions, ovens, and more. While a "want" would be something such as a videogame console, or an Alexa. What are some electronics you would truly consider to be a necessity, and how could CO2 from electronics be lessened?

I believe that technology has become a really important thing in today's world. I believes phones are the single most important thing in the world because of how much we fall back on technology. it could be better if we reuse more energy. we can lessen Co2 emmisions if we start to unplug phones and laptops when they are at a reasonable charge and not using them. we can also properly recycle E-waste such as chargers and old batteries.

To be honest, I don't think it's worth it to get new things just because they're in style. For example, a friend of mine always purchased the newest iPhone model, even when his previous model was working flawlessly. After purchasing it, he continued to brag to everyone. Like many others, I am readily swayed by others to purchase items. I usually ask myself, "Do I really need it?" before making a purchase. In the majority of cases, the answer is no. I believe that the issue with overconsumption in today's society is that people find it difficult to distinguish between needs and wants while making purchases. I frequently see videos on social media of people—usually Americans, in my case—doing a "restock my fridge with me" and then filling the refrigerator full of tiny packaged products. These little packaging materials generate a lot of garbage. I've seen people purchase milk in tiny packaging simply because it had a nice cow sticker on it. Of course, that isn't true for everyone. According to what I've heard, Black Friday also leads to a lot of overconsumption because consumers typically purchase unnecessary items just because they're on sale.

We often go into the stores not needing to buy anything, but just for the satisfaction of seeing new things and wondering if we should buy it or not. When you are asking yourself this question, you should ask yourself this aswell: 1. Will I use it in a year or two? If the answer is no, you should put it back. 2. Do I really need it or am I fine without it? If you can live happily and find a cheaper/more sustainable alternative, you don't need the product. This can apply to clothes, toys, gadgets and such. By leaving that item in the store you are sending a message that the product is not needed in such a large amount, and the makers of that item will stop making it in such a large amount and they will reduce our carbon footprint.

Se have to start to recognize  our needs and our wants. Our NEEDS can be:
  ~If our shoes rip,se have tò buy new ones
  ~ We have to buy food,but especially the healthy ones because they're the ones we really need tò live a healthy life
  ~If our clothes rip or start having holes in them,then we need to buy new ones
•The shoes or the clothes we buy don't have to be expensive because the price of the clothing we're wearing doesn't define what type of person we are! And in the end it doesn't matter the brand of the clothing we're wearing beacause the materials are almost always the same.
WANTS:
  ~a new phone even tho our actual one still works well
  ~buying new chlothes just because we think the ones we have are boring
  ~going shopping just because we don't have what to do.
•We don't have to spend money just because we can!
|•|Understanding what out needs and wants are can temperate us so we don't polute the environment we live in and start a better life plan for our future!

I think before buying anything to see if you need it at all. here’s an example Max needs to buy shampoo he sees the one his mother told him to get, but he sees the one everyone has and has been told is the best shampoo they got so he buys the more expensive shampoo in instead of the one his mother told him to buy because he thinks the more expensive on is better

I think I would agree because the difference between a want and a need is something very important because just because you want it doesn't mean it will be the most efficient and the most useful for that I need just because I could use it or it is what everybody has.

This is a good example of a want and a need. Some people want to get a soda with the money they have, but they need to get water. You have to get what you need so that you can survive. But then the environmental safety aspect comes into play so you need to get something that you can refill.

I think this sends a good message about wants and needs, and I agree with choosing a needs over a wants. But one problem I see with this is how people are attached to their wants. With how many luxury items people have, it may be difficult to remove their wants. For example, let's say Billy has a Nintendo switch and playground outside in his local park. The Nintendo switch will increase his carbon footprint but the playground will not, but for Billy it's hard to leave his Nintendo switch for the playground. The main problem is if people are willing to cut out their luxuries for lowering their carbon footprint.

The goal for luxury items and ecological footprints is not to get rid of all the things that increase your footprint, but to simply lower how often you use it. At this point of time, humanity is never going to get rid of these luxury items. Billy can simply slowly spend say thirty minutes at the park, and then the rest of his time on his switch. Every week, he can increase how often he goes to the park, perhaps liking it more. Another example of slowly getting rid of a luxury item is a car. Say Billy drives to the park. He can bike there, once a week. Then the next month, twice, and onwards. The same slow acclimation can be applied to switching diets, or really anything. Changing our world isn't going to be fast, and so is using certain things over others.

Something

Because you got to fill in the things you want to continue moving in life.

OK so here's the thing. I don't really get anything new regarding technology. I got my first phone around my 11th birthday. I'm 14 now turning 15 and my ancient IPhone SE just broke, so guess what I got? A hand me down that wasn't used except by someone else, who, just got a different phone and didn't want to use it anymore. I never had technology other than that phone of mine unless it was the school Chromebooks that I was given to protect with my life. So I never really got a new model, and if anything I got a model DOWN form my old one, if that's even possible. The phone I have now is ANCIENT, and when I say ancient, I mean it. I've never gotten the new model or anything so that really wasn't a need, it was a want. But I'm a busy person and needed to stay in contact with my family, so in a way it kind of was a need in a certain way. And if I did get an upgrade I probably wouldn't have considered the environmental impacts they had. It was something I wanted and something I had, so I would use it and not consider what it could do to the environment. If I was addicted I don't really know what I would do to get off of it. I kind of need my phone for EVERYTHING I do so it would be really hard to try to change that.

Thinking before buying something is really important as, buying things you really don't need just increases your carbon footprint which is unfair for our environment as well. Spending over your budget also can lead yourself into difficult situation. It can also put you in financial issues too so that's why making the decision "is it worth it" or "do I really need it" is a good thing to think about before making a purchase.

I agree that people should think before buying certain items, especially when items might have a large carbon footprint. For example, people should think before buying new articles of clothing because fast fashion is one of the leading causes to climate change. People don’t need new clothes, but since trends come and go quickly, people are always buying new clothes which they only wear a couple of times, and then throw out. Also, items have a carbon footprint before you even buy them. Items like clothes and exotic foods are imported from all around the world and have a large carbon footprint from being transported by boat or plane. People should think before they buy new items, not only if they truly need it or if it’s just a want, but also if the item has a large carbon footprint and if it will be put to good use by the purchaser.

I think before you go shopping you should see if it’ll affect your day-to-day life.  Like let’s say clothes, if you don’t see yourself wearing this commonly (Besides suits and dresses) why waste your money or time?  Or food, if you're not going to eat it, why get it?  That’s why you shouldn't go shopping when you're hungry.

I feel like humans want to buy things that are their wants and cause them to impulsively buy an item but that really is just a waste of money and increases your carbon footprint and if you keep impulsively buying things it could lead to overconsumption. Some good ways to be mindful about your purchases are to have a checklist and ask yourself questions to see if you really want it or not.

As teenagers we must reflect about our wants and needs, because unnecessary things will increase our carbon footprint to unhealthy levels which will lead to destruction of our earth and all living organisms. Overspending on only wants can lead to financial troubles, so spending wisely will benefit you and your bank account. Indulging in your wants can provide a sense of satisfaction and joy. however it is crucial that you find a balance between both a want and a need. Brands like amazon, nike, apple, are constantly developing new ways to hook in new shoppers and ways to get you to buy with tricks and tactics that influence your behavior is ways that you do not realize. Life on earth is not just about buying and spending but to live the life you are given to its fullest. Because in the end whoever dies with the most money and the most items do not win.

Shopping can be fun, but it can also be very harmful to the earth. Not to be offensive, but parents who spoil their children just buy whatever their children want, not thinking about the consequences. They buy them toys that they barely play with, clothes they never wear, throwing it all away in the trash. They don't think about where those things are going, possibly dumped out into the ocean, or strewn on the ground in a desolate place. But what about animals who live there? We need to think about what are actions cause us, even if they're not immediate.

Yes I agree that so many people just buy whatever they want but in the end they just end up throwing it away or never using it. To stop this I think that people could be more mindful about what they buy or maybe if they have clothes that they never use they could donate it to a charity or to goodwill.

I've actually never thought about it that way and I have to say I agree with you. We really need to put thoughts into what we buy if we also think about shoes that we buy that we sometimes don't wear can be wasted. I'm sure there are many more I will now be thinking more about what I buy  when I shop.

I agree with you because I think some animal may eat and get stuck in it .That is not good for the environment , our sea is gonna yo be with trash.

For me, I think I'll try to only go shopping for unnecessary things once every 1-3 months. (Is that still a lot?)

I agree and we have to think before we buy

People never seem to think about what their purchases could do to the environment or will they even use them at all. People should actually think if they need something when at the check out line. All people should get to get items that they enjoy but that should not come at the cost of Earth.

Also, I will try not to eat too much processed foods, and more organic, fresh foods.

I agree it has been a problem on youtube videos I see with YouTubers where the buy random stuff to look cool  and do nothing with it but some give it away like useful things !!

That's pretty cool!

Yes i agree, we should only be buying things that are needed. Especially with our clothes we should just be getting the necessary clothes for a week and buy new items when needed. Or even hand me downs are also good to get from relatives or even friends. I believe whenever you buy something i think everyone should just think about it first like how often are you going to use this item? Or is this something i actually need or could i save this money for other things like food.

Yes I agree buying new stuff lots has a huge impact on our earth. Maybe as a population when we are wanting a new clothing item we can look is thrift stores and buy second hand. This will help us reuse thing instead of getting thrown out.

i completely agree with this, buying new clothes or toys we don’t really need is really wasteful and not a good idea for our environment. especially if it is something you know you don’t need and will rarely use but are just but buying it for the sake of buying something. a great way to stop doing this is going to yard sales or getting hand me downs or even going to thrift stores, this can help our environment because less waste will be getting thrown into land fill and more things getting reused. another great thing to do is sewing your own clothes, even though the idea might seem daunting at first it really isn’t too difficult once you learn how. trucking clothes or making your own is also a great idea for saving your money to be able to buy things you really need later.

is it a want or a need bruh.

A want or a need and deciding between both can be a struggle for many people. A want is something that will enhance our quality of life and is not required to live. Food, Water, Space, shelter, these are needs that are requirements for survival and our own well-being. A want may improve your life and make you feel good or better once you have it but it will not stop you from starving or give you enough shelter or space to live in. Understanding the differences between these two can better deepen our choices that we make. Balancing wants and needs is crucial for overall happiness and decision making

i thunk that a lot of people buy objects and never use them, this is really a waste, so if you have to buy something make sure it's really useful.

i agree

I agree that if you buy something and don't use it why wast your money.

Yes always think before buying stuff because you might end up not using it, and it becomes a waste.

I agree because most people will see adds and buy it but not use it.

I agree

I agree because some people think it looks cool but they just never use it or they just leave it to get dusty and rusty and that is not good so you just throw it away all the time and your family might just always do this and it is bad for people so I suggest to only buy what you need like food or water and some toys.

I agree, that happens to me a lot. I buy things but I don't really use them. Just think about if you will use it before buying things.

I agree

I definitely agree, I need to work on this myself. When me and my family go shopping, I am always so tempted to just buy the first thing that I like in the store. Most times, the things that I want are snacks in single use packages. I have to remind myself that we have delicious food and snacks at home.

You can always reuse it on other stuff like crafts,costumes,DIY,home stuff,parties,or sell it.

I agree. If I ever don't use something I usually give it to a relative or donate so it  can be used as intended

I also agree because many items we want but not all we need, so we should try to limit ourselves to how much we buy.

I agree, if you accidently buy something and you can't return it, you could give it to a thrift store or sell it.

Huge Problem for me I buy a lot stuff I don't need so I been working on this.

I agree, there is a good amount of people who buy stuff that they just see and WANT instead of getting stuff that you WANT, get stuff that you NEED! There are a lot of people who can't even get stuff that NEED things such as food,clothes,water and other stuff that you NEED to survive in this world. Next time think about this post before you go out getting stuff that you don't necessarily "need" 

I personally agree to this. People might find difficulties to in purchasing things that look "cool" but not actually using them.

I have an idea that could help. Using the "48 hours" rule. After seeing the item you really really WANT to buy, you go home. For two straight days, if you keep thinking about the item nonstop, you must choose if it benefits you or not. If it benefits you and the environment, you may buy it. But if it doesn't benefit you, or you even forgot about the item, you shouldn't buy it.

I personally agree to this. People might find difficulties to in purchasing things that look "cool" but not actually using them.

I have an idea that could help. Using the "48 hours" rule. After seeing the item you really really WANT to buy, you go home. For two straight days, if you keep thinking about the item nonstop, you must choose if it benefits you or not. If it benefits you and the environment, you may buy it. But if it doesn't benefit you, or you even forgot about the item, you shouldn't buy it.

This is so true. We need to normalize not being influenced by the internet to buy things we won't use. We should only buy things that we need and less things that we only want.

I agree. Many people buy things that they dont need just because of trends. Even I buy things that I don't need.

I agree wholeheartedly. It is important in an increasingly consumerist world to learn to know when you need something vs when you want something. Being able to decide what is good and what isn't saves me money in the short-term, and saves the environment in the long term.

Yes, I often find myself getting ready to spend money just because I have it. I was in this situation yesterday, and I had to stop and think, "Am I actually going to use these, or do I just think they look cool?" In the end, I saved my money, and one less useless thing was bought.

I completely agree! I think i’m guilty of getting something unnecessary here and there but this is a big problem. Buying unnecessary things like cheap toys, mass amounts of meat, and clothes you’re never going to wear. Things like cheap toys are fun for a moment but especially as you get older you’re truly not going to use that and it’s gonna go in the garbage and into the ocean. Things like mass amounts of meat from costco can be helpful for some people because it’s cheaper and easier, but if you’re going to let half of that go bad then it’s really a huge waste for how much carbon footprint the process to make that meat just left. And i know many people who buy clothes they don’t wear but if you’re not gonna donate those and just throw them away then it’s such a waste, and what did you get out of it? maybe a tiktok post and a haul for your friends but you won’t even remember it in a year, and the environment will live with that possibly 200+ years.

Thats a really good point. I sometimes buy things I dont need and never use them. I think we all need to think before we buy things and ask ouselves "do I really need this"?.

Most of us humans are addicted to electronics nowadays because they control our everyday life; but what if we could limit our time on electronics. How can we do that? One way we can break our addiction from electronics is to be more active. For example, taking time out of your day to get some exercise in, whether its working out doing weights by yourself or signing up for gym classes getting daily exercise is very beneficial. Another example could be to go on walks or bike rides. Going on walks or even jogging can help take your time off electronics and can help you appreciate the world more. Ultimately, it's hard to break an addiction, but the more effort you put in to try to break it, the easier it will get over time.

Wow! you hit it right on the nail, I sometimes catch myself just unusually using my telephone even when I know I should be I am learning that its okay to not use it some times and not over use it when I don't need to. Thank you so much I definitely will.

The newest technology could be both a want and a need. If you're a "bratty kid" that wants the newest technology to be in trend with the others, it's a need. But if you actually need the newest technology, for example for your job as an adult, it could be an important need.

I strongly think that having the newest technology is a want and not a need. If you already have a device that works perfectly fine you don't need a new one.

Attempting to keep up with the trends on what technology is best as an adolescent is not considered a need, however I agree that updated technology is a necessity if an individual is an adult and needs those upgrades in order to continue their professional work.

I think you meant to say that the "bratty kids" need for the newest technology is a want. I completely agree with the statement that having the newest technology isn't always necessary because at the end of the day, it leads to waste of the "older technology" in order to make room for the newer ones. I think that in areas such as the health field, it is an absolute need for their technology to be consistently up to date and renewed. Areas of expertise such as this one will benefit the entire community if they have access to these technologies.

I agree with your statement because most people this generation just want the newest technology to fit in with the others. With that being said, I think people that deserve the newest technology are people that need it for their jobs. Sometimes old technology can become too slow so that is why people with important jobs need the best technology that they can get.

Hey, I agree with what you're saying. And I'm also curious as to how big is the average carbon footprint in your region?

There is a big difference between desire and need.
Desire is that thing that we want, but it is not necessary.
Need is that thing we cannot live without (for example water, gas, bread, etc.)

I'm completely agree. A big part of our footprint comes from our carbon emissions and what we do within our homes, and your information can be used on other topics to discern the difference between the two words you have listed above. And maybe spread even more awareness to what we do in our spare time and overall lives.

Consumerism is definitely one of the biggest problems of our society. Whether it's wanting the newest clothes or technology, we have the mindset of always needing more. To combat my personal problem with it, I have started dividing my wants and needs. I don't count the majority of foods as a want, along with healthcare or basic necessity items. My wants are typically categorized into materialistic needs. Something that has personally helped me is converting the price of items into how many hours I'd have to work to be able to afford it. If I feel like it's not worth my work, then I find it's easier to walk away form the item.

https://www.becomingminimalist.com/consumer-isnt/

some people exaggerate with shopping which is a desire not a necessity, there are many things they don't need but they still spend a lot of money on things harmful to the environment

some people exaggerate with shopping which is a desire not a necessity, there are many things they don't need but they still spend a lot of money on things harmful to the environment

People do not seem to ask themselves if something is a want or a need before buying it. People often impulse purchase, and later realize they are not entirely interested in the thing they bought. For example, fast fashion is a large reason landfills are overflowing. Companies find less fortunate individuals to exploit and hire to work for miniscule wages. With the price of wages low, these companies are able to produce their products at an extremely low rate. This is appealing to people because of course someone would rather spend less money than more money. People often purchase clothing to fit into the newest trends, which in this day and age, change daily. With these rapid changes, the clothing bought to fit the trend is no longer useful. This leads to over "34 billion pounds of used textiles" being throw into the landfills in the United States alone. This also opens up the conversation that people should be who they want to be, not just someone who follows societal standards. If someone is able to establish themselves, they may not have the urge to purchase something just to fit in. We as humans have the ability to produce products that are safe for the environment and control our spending, yet we refuse to put the Earth's health over our wealth.
https://www.bu.edu/sph/news/articles/20 … vironment/

Fast fashion fuels overconsumption by encouraging lots of cheap purchases of trendy clothing, leading to
a ton of  waste. This way of living and thinking makes you choose quantity over quality, contributing to pollution and unethical labor conditions.

These days a lot of people buy things that they don't need just because they like them or they buy something that are very cheap and they use them only once then they threw them away. This is due to fast fashion, but if we want to save our planet we have to change our mind and start also thinking the consequences before buying. We can reuse cloth, in our school we have a room that is called "VINTED CLASS" where we can swap clothes.

Yes I agree with you that we always buy stuff but never use it like maybe we buy a peice of clothing but only use it once so then we are just wasting materials and if you think about it you are also wasting your money.

I also agree that we buy stuff, but then only use it once. For example; the people that will celebrate Halloween, most people will buy there costume and wear it on Halloween, but never wear it again.

I agree there are a lot of people that just buy things for the show factor and not thinking about what they really need.

But when you wear a Halloween costume only once, you can sell it for someone else to use.Another way To save money you can use some of your old costume for new things on your new costume.

You could get your clothes from a thrift store or get hand-me-downs.

I find it hard because I never reuse my halloween costumes and I feel like i'm wasting a lot

You could donate those clothes that you have grown out of

I agree we have to put the planet first before our wants and needs. Donating clothes to places like good will or the salvation army is great way to have your old clothes re used!

Hi i am Cody Hsu i think people shouldn't waste food because some people are hungry.

Absolutely, not wasting food is essential for several reasons. Firstly, it helps to reduce environmental impact by saving resources like water and energy used in food production. Secondly, it is economically prudent as it saves money spent on purchasing and preparing food. Thirdly, it aligns with ethical considerations by acknowledging the global issue of hunger and food insecurity. Finally, minimizing food waste promotes a more sustainable and responsible approach to consumption, benefiting both people and the planet.

I agree with you, you make some really good points.

Interesting

I agree if you don't waste food it'll help because then no food gets wasted and your points are very explanatory

yes that is a do not do right there! and did you know it watse monney

We really don't need to waste food. ex. have a big meal and then not finish it.

of course. that is very true. wasting food is not acceptable. if you do that you are  not helping the beautiful planet. think about all the people that are not as lucky to have good food, so if you waste your food it would not be helping the world and even people.=)

i eat to little food

every time we go out for dinner we normally end up having leftovers and my mom will NOT toss it out so we will either eat it for dinner the next day or give it to a homeless person:)

Hi Cody, I agree with you! Food is such a precious resource that many people take for granted. There are people out there who are starving or don't know when their next meal is going to be. So not wasting food is very important!

There are people in the world that can't afford to buy things and if u just waste money on things you don't really need then you are just being selfish. Only buy things you need. Not want.

Yes I agree, we shouldn't be selfish and buy things we only NEED.

things with meaning and usefulness are essential in our daily lives. But at the end of the day were humans so if were going to get something we want we better use it. And if you don't like it see if it can be returned.

THRIFT STORE

If you want buy something but you don't know if you really need it or only wanted, just wait few days and if you still thinking about that, maybe you need it

I agree because I have that problem because one time I thought of buying something so I got it but I didn't need it at all

I agree. I think that it is best to only buy something if you need it or know that you will use it often. Don't buy something just to have it

Yeah, I agree to you should always see if you really need something before buying it, because you don't want to buy something that is not going to be used a lot.

Some things you need to survive and some thing we just really want. But we don't need thoughs things.

we don't need everything we want

I agree to a degree, but some wants might help the fight for climate change, would you agree that there are some exceptions to your statement?

Wants and Needs are very different considering what is a necessity to live or compared to luxuries. Needs are an essential to live. Such things like a home, transportation, food, clothing, etc. You can cut back on some carbon footprint for needs by cutting down on things like transportation. For example, on a nice day maybe you can take a walk to school or ride bike instead of driving. Another example could be rather than going somewhere to eat like a restaurant you could cook something homemade at your own house. Most of people’s carbon footprint comes from transportation. People like to ride dirt bikes, or side by sides, etc. for fun. If you find other things to do besides things with motors, you could bring it down way more. Through this you can even cut back needs, because even our needs aren’t fully a necessity. Everyone has wants, as we are human. We want to go places such as the mall, the movies, the fair, etc. But there are some alternatives to make our world a better place. For example do you really need to go to the mall? Think about do you really need more clothes? You buying more clothes causes them to produce more, causing more pollution. As opposed to going thrifting, which will decrease carbon footprint and pollution. You and your friends want to hang out to go to the movies. Why not instead go to someones house and use a projector to watch a movie? If we all work together to cut back on our carbon footprint, we can make the earth healthier. Such simple things are possible.
Need or Want? | BioEd Online

I agree that we should not use things with motors for fun and we only use them for a time when needed.

I agree, so many families just buy toys that they play with for like, only like 2 days and then leave them in the corner to gather dust. I believe that people should only buy something if they have been wanting it for a long time, and rarely buy toys. Instead, people should focus on buying food and things that they really need.

What is the difference between wants and needs? In my opinion, wants are things that I can live without, but needs are things I can’t. For example, water, food, clothes are obvious needs. But what about those shoes that you want, do actually need them? If you have no shoes then yes, but what about those shoes sitting at the back of the shoe closet. Buying whatever you want and getting sick of it is just a waste of money and material. Prioritizing needs over wants ensures efficient resource allocation. Indulging in wants without consideration can lead to wasteful consumption. Being mindful of consumption habits not only benefits finances but also reduces environmental impact and promotes sustainability. Therefore, before indulging in a want, assess its alignment with needs and values.

I agree. Things that are essential to life, such as food, water, and shelter, are called needs. Conversely, desires are items we would want to have, including toys, new technology, and more. Most of the items we purchase, including pricey clothing and other items, wind up in a landfill. Anything that we use and eventually breaks or grows too tiny ends up in a landfill. Over 92 million tons of apparel end up in landfills, according to the report. This is due to fast fashion. Fast fashion is very common these days and shops like ZARA, H&M, and TOPSHOP are the biggest producers of it. This is why we have to consider when we buy clothes. Be reasonable. Don't buy clothes every single day.

Wants and needs vary, a simple definition is needs being things you must have to survive most which fit under the criteria of food, rent/mortgage things that are necessities. While wants are simply things you want to have could be a game console, a new tv or some snacks. The separation between wants and needs is that the more necessities or needs that you have the more money or time/effort you have to put into it which in some cases causes more pollution which isn't good. Aswell as adding to that with your wants, the more wants the worse it can be. So ultimately your wants and needs can affect your pollution and your carbon footprint. They can affect it with things such as lights.Also anything that affects energy can add to your footprint. As well leaving a tv on and running adds to your footprint which in some cases are wants like when you want to watch tv and then your done and leave it on it constantly adds up more and more and other things like food the more snacks and stuff you buy just because you want it also adds to your footprint. As well as your purchases this adds as well and driving around. All these things add to your footprints and can be affected by how you use them for your car. Maybe you have to drive to work but after you want to go to McDonalds, that's a want that affects the pollution. Maybe you're at the grocery store and you see some clothes that you want that affect your carbon footprint.

I 100% agree. Wants and needs are completely separate things. While food, water, oxygen, and shelter from the elements are things that we could not live without, there are so many things that we use that are unnecessary. In California, USA, the average person uses 1,191 kgs of CO2 on purchases alone. I use 119 kgs of CO2 alongside my purchases. I know that a lot of those purchases are unnecessary and I also know that it will be higher when I have to pay for everything myself, however, this is just to show the high level of wants vs needs in the world, specifically the USA and my own state.

I think that there is a part of me that wants to fuel my want, and another part that tells me to not be wasteful. I 100% agree that needs are what should be prioritized and that we should be mindful of every purchase we make, but there are some times where being frivolous is good if regulated. I think even if purchase causes waste, we can still balance the slightly unnecessary buying habits and the waste that we produce, maybe just to twice a year or something like that. Knowing that a balance between these two is the ultimate want, It begs the question- Which should/can we choose first, the fulfillment of human want, or the necessity of global cleanliness? I think that this is what the world is struggling to work past. the general public, governments, people in power, i feel, have been taking the easy route. they have been focusing on themselves and what directly affects them or their group in this moment, which is not always what we should be thinking about. they have only scraped the surface of what it means to have a balance of the two in the last couple years, and even through all the protesting and attention that this movement is getting, it just isn't enough. I know that once the necessity of global cleanliness has caught up to the people in power who chose to step aside, who chose to deal with other matters first, will be then facing a problem that they cannot handle. this is what scares me.

I agree as well. Nowadays, with social media constantly advertising new products and steadily generating new trends everyday, our consumption numbers have gone up significantly. This has caused our carbon footprint to increase. Content creators are constantly displaying a plethora of new clothes and “trendy” items they purchase consistently and influencing their thousands of followers to do the same. In my own personal experience, I see influencers on social media buy frivolous pieces of clothing that are an example of fast fashion. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, fast fashion is, “an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers.” In other words it is cheap, poor-quality clothing, made quickly to keep up with the trends being perpetuated by social media. This clothing is not sustainable because of its poor quality and because it is a part of a trend that will most likely “go out of style” within the next few months. Once one trend fades, another is created and the cycle continues. People will continue participating in fast fashion to keep up with the trends, just to throw away those clothes in the subsequent months. All this clothing is being quickly produced and just as quickly thrown away takes a humongous toll on our carbon footprint. Giving into these trends and purchasing unneeded clothing is leading to wasteful consumption.

I agree with everything that has been said on this thread but I would like to add the aspect of how influencers can cause us to make "impulse purchases". When we see someone we really like to watch advertise a product on social media it causes us to have a more biased take on the product, as if one of our own friends had recommended it, we feel like because this "internet famous" person owns and loves this product, and since they are recommending it then it must really be a good product. But their praise may cause us to cloud our view of if the product is actually worth it or not. Many influencers just advertise products for the money even if they don't like the product and see it as a useless item. I would recommend everyone having their own unique checklist as to what is worthy to buy and what is not, and just because an influencer praises something doesn't mean it should meet your checklist. By making these impulse buys just because we saw it online and it is easy to order through amazon, we waste our time, the workers time, our money and precious resources which are limited to this world. Every time we make an unnecessary purchase we have a bigger impact on the earth because of the carbon footprint from that item being made, transported, and then dumped into a landfill. We need to cut these purchases out of our lives.

I concur. The things we need to survive, like food, water, and shelter, are known as needs. On the other hand, the things we desire, such as toys, new gadgets, and more, fall under the category of wants. Unfortunately, most of the items we purchase, including expensive clothing, end up in landfills. Anything we use that eventually breaks or becomes too small is also discarded.

I definitely agree. Purchasing things you don't need, such as clothes and other products, to merely stay "on trend" is wasteful and has a bigger impact than you think. The transportation and shipment involved in each purchase contribute to these carbon emissions. From the resources used in the production to the emissions generated during transportation, each step contributes to its overall environmental footprint. According to BBC.com, "The fashion industry is responsible for 8-10% of global emissions." Most of this impact comes from raw materials such as cotton, synthetic materials, oil, and chemicals from dyes. These wants are nonessential, while our needs are crucial to human survival in today’s society. These needs include food, water, shelter, and healthcare. Prioritizing these necessities is vital for people to live fulfilling and dignified lives.

I completely agree with your distinction between wants and needs. It's so important to recognize that while we might desire certain items, they often aren't essential for our well-being. The example of shoes is perfect; having a few pairs is practical, but accumulating more than we need just leads to waste—both financially and environmentally. Prioritizing needs over wants is a wise approach that encourages more responsible consumption. By being mindful of our habits, we not only make better financial choices but also contribute to sustainability efforts. It's crucial to pause and assess whether our purchases truly align with our values and needs. This way, we can reduce waste and make more intentional decisions that benefit both ourselves and the planet.

Yes I completely agree that we are spending a lot of money on things that we want like candy, toys etc. I think we should be spending money on things that we need like food, water, clothes , and shelter. Sometimes we spend to much on something like clothes, you need clothes but you don't need so many that your whole room is covered in them, or shoes you need a few pair but not so many that your shoe rack is overflowing with them.

I think that there are many things that we need to survive, but we have many things that are not absolutely necessary. For example, many things that almost everybody has in their home could be removed in order to help the environment. A gas stove is a perfect example. People have these because it is much too inconvenient to light a fire and put a pan on top every time, but stoves are a large carbon contributor. I think that people have a natural desire to make things more convenient and quicker but do not realize the impact that it has.

I do think that a lot of things that people buy are unnecessary, but I think the bigger issue is how it is being produced and runs. I think that just getting rid of whatever you are using (like a stove) to make a small impact on your carbon footprint would be a huge inconvenience to many people. And its not to say that we can't slightly inconvenience ourselves to help save the environment, but I think if companies changed how and what they produced, we could have a systemic change rather than a personal one.

Clothing and purchases are a huge issue relating to carbon emissions. Not only do factories release harmful gasses into the air, but it is hard or almost impossible for the materials used to decompose. According to airly.org, factories emit lots of pollutants into the air, a main one being green house gases, which mainly consist of carbon dioxide. Especially this day in age, keeping up with the trends is super important, but at what cost? People need clothes, but many purchases people make are just wants to have more. But, the more people buy, the more impact it has on our environment. 10% of carbon emissions are due to fast fashion industries. This really has me thinking, is my next purchase worth it? What do you think? Next time I will try to think before I buy.

Something that I try to keep in mind when buying clothes is if I will actually wear them more than once or if its just fast fashion. I try to thrift when I can and also buying clothes that I can wear for a long time like a nice pair of jeans. A shop I really recommend for clothes that will last is uniqlo. Their clothes are pretty expense but I have a t shirt from them that has lasted for a couple years without wear and tear. They are very good for base layers as well. I think the investment is worth it to not have to keep buying clothes.

there are many times i buy things that i don't need. i end up not using these items and sometimes they are thrown away. i need to stop buying things i dont need so there is less waste.

There is a big difference between the wants and needs. Stuff like water, shelter, food, clothes, etc. Needs are flashy shoes, high end computer, the newest phone or devices. Buying excess wants can lead to waste of resources and cause pollution because of the creation of our wants. Needs are the things we need to survive in our life. Wants can cause extra things that we don't need which becomes a waste. Having a lot of waste can cause unnecessary pollution to our Earth.

Pollution is the largest environmental cause of disease and premature death. Pollution causes more than 9 million premature deaths, the majority of them due to air pollution. That’s several times more deaths than from AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. Air pollution is the leading environmental risk to health, causing 7 million premature deaths each year. This is equivalent to the number of people that have died from COVID-19 since March 2020. Pollution of all types hinder development outcomes. Air pollution, exposure to lead and other chemicals, and hazardous waste including exposure to improper e-waste disposal, cause debilitating and fatal illnesses, create harmful living conditions, and destroy ecosystems. Pollution stunts economic growth, exacerbates poverty and inequality in both urban and rural areas, and significantly contributes to climate change. Poor people, who cannot afford to protect themselves from the negative impacts of pollution, end up suffering the most. More than 95 percent of deaths caused by air pollution occur in low- and middle- income countries. In individual countries, the economic burden of pollution associated with premature mortality and morbidity is also significant, equivalent to 5 to 14 percent of countries' GDPs. Recent evidence points to the similar devastation caused by exposure to harmful chemicals, such as lead. In 2019, more than 5.5 million adults died from cardiovascular disease arising from lead exposure. 90% of these deaths occurred in lower- and middle-income countries. In the same year, children younger than 5 years of age lost 765 million IQ points. Lead exposure costs countries $6 trillion, equivalent to 6.9% of global GDP. It is critical to address pollution because of its unacceptable toll on health and human capital, as well as associated GDP losses. Pollution management can also make substantial contributions to climate change mitigation through actions such as reduction of black carbon and methane emissions, which contribute to both air pollution and climate change. In addition, pollution management can enhance competitiveness, for example, through job creation, better energy efficiency, improved transport, and sustainable urban and rural development.

https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poll … 20combined.

It really depends on what the want is.  For example, electric cars (Teslas) are made to lower the amount of carbon emission out of cars.  But the trade off is that when the lithium for the batteries is mined, then it emits 15 tons of carbon as well.  Sometimes it is alright to pollute if it will help the earth in another way but most of the time we should not pollute our planet for our material wants.

Needs are something that every person has, and as time goes on these needs will be completely different from 100 years ago. Everyone needs water, shelter, and food, but as time goes on it becomes more necessary for adults to have things such as smart phones and cars in order to keep their other basic needs. While these things do cause extra waste they still are necessary for people to have in a modern society. So to combat this it's important that people make use of these things for long periods of time making sure they use their phones for multiple years and possibly utilize electric cars in order to reduce their carbon output.

Clothing and fashion are two of my biggest interests, yet what is happening behind the scenes? According to NRDC anywhere from 4-8.6% of carbon emissions are from clothing production. I love to go thrift shopping and try to reuse clothes as much as possible, due to the fact that the fast fashion industry is a significant contributor to the climate crisis, responsible for as much as 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions; and waste nearly 97 million tons of clothing. Are these trends so important that you should value them more than mother earth? NO! Next time you walk into a store to purchase a clothing item, think of how much carbon has been emitted to create it. Is it really worth it?

Clothing is one thing I truly enjoy, but at what cost? I love shopping but after my class took the carbon footprint calculator I realized clothing is such a huge contribution to carbon emissions. According to NRDC anywhere from 4-8.6% of carbon emissions are from clothing production. I talk about how I love to buy second-hand or used clothes however as much as I would like to think I mostly thrift, I have many new clothes from stores that contribute to fast fashion. Are these new clothes really something I need to be getting? Finding clothes from thrift stores is much more friendly to the environment because you are actually taking out of the 92 million tons of clothing thrown away each year. When I'm out shopping I often think "buying just one top won't hurt the environment" but in actuality the amount of people that have the exact same thought as me is what causes extreme rates of carbon in the atmosphere. Next time I'm at a store and I want to buy a shirt, I really need to think about carbon emissions that have gone into our atmosphere due to the production of this clothing item and how many clothing items have been produced along with it.

Clothing is one thing I truly enjoy, but at what cost? I love shopping but after my class took the carbon footprint calculator I realized clothing is such a huge contribution to carbon emissions. According to NRDC anywhere from 4-8.6% of carbon emissions are from clothing production. I talk about how I love to buy second-hand or used clothes however as much as I would like to think I mostly thrift, I have many new clothes from stores that contribute to fast fashion. Are these new clothes really something I need to be getting? Finding clothes from thrift stores is much more friendly to the environment because you are actually taking out of the 92 million tons of clothing thrown away each year. When I'm out shopping I often think "buying just one top won't hurt the environment" but in actuality the amount of people that have the exact same thought as me is what causes extreme rates of carbon in the atmosphere. Next time I'm at a store and I want to buy a shirt, I really need to think about carbon emissions that have gone into our atmosphere due to the production of this clothing item and how many clothing items have been produced along with it.

Recently my whole grade took this footprint calculator, and the following question was then asked all around the school; "what was your footprint"? While it may be easier to joke about how high or low someones score it is important that we actually think about these numbers and how they affect the world around us. Looking at my score I was struck by how the averages compared to my personal numbers. I will admit that many of my choices are not based on how eco-friendly they are, but more based on how convenient when it comes to transport and how cute when it comes to shopping. Both of my parents work is surrounding climate change, so growing up I was constantly being encouraged to make the choice that was more climate friendly. I often ignored this, if my friends parent offered me a ride home I was going to take it, or if I thought a shirt was cute it was a given I was going to buy it, even if I didn't NEED that ride or shirt. In the future I will strive to base my choices more on how it affects the planet.

When you hear the words wants and needs, they seem very different. But in reality, things between them typically get mixed together when thinking about it. From Difference Between Needs and Wants (with Comparison Chart) - Key Differences, “needs point out something you must have for survival. On the other hand, wants refer to something that is good to have, but not essential for survival.” For example, everyone needs to eat and drink but choosing to eat healthy or to eat junk is a want. People typically mix eating junk food to be a need because they “need to eat food”. But they don’t need to eat junk that is bad for them. They can choose to eat organic and healthier foods that are better for them and the environment around them. Besides just the basic want of not eating healthy, people may choose to eat certain foods over others due to price. A lot of foods that are organic are more expensive than foods that aren’t.
    There are many more examples that fit both wants and needs. But there are simple steps people can take to do things that are healthier and better for the environment. For food, you can eat low on the food chains, choose organic and local foods that are in season, and buy foodstuffs in bulk when possible using your own reusable container. You can also reduce your food waste by planning meals ahead of time, freezing the excess and reusing leftovers, and compost your food waste if possible. For clothing, don't buy fast fashion, buy vintage or recycled clothing at consignment shops, and wash your clothing in cold water. For shopping, buy less stuff, bring your own reusable bag when you shop, opt for a laptop instead of desktop, and look for energy star products. For home, do an energy audit of your home, change incandescent light bulbs, and switch lights off when leaving the room and unplug electronics that are not being used. Also turn your water heater down, install a low-flow showerhead, and sign up to get your electricity from clean energy. For transportation, drive less, avoid unnecessary braking and acceleration, take care of your car, and consider purchasing a hybrid or electric vehicle. For air travel, avoid flying if possible, fly nonstop since landing and takeoffs use more fuel, go economy class, and offset the carbon emissions of your travel. All these steps in the paragraph are from The 35 Easiest Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint – State of the Planet (columbia.edu). All these steps are things you may want to do that go with your needs but there are better ways to fulfill the needs you are needing.

We all have something that we want and some things that we really need. Some examples of needs are shelter, food, clothings and a lot more. However, there are lots of things that aren't necessary but we still buy it. Yes, we need shoes but we don't need to buy twenty pairs of them. We might need phones but we don't need to buy a new phone every time a new phone got released. There are a lot more things that are just wants and not really necessary. We are causing a lot of pollution on things that we don't really need. We can reduce a lot of carbon footprint by buying less wants. Wants and needs aren't just for buying stuff. Do we really need to go to everyplace by car? We can also reduce a lot of carbon footprint if we take transportations like buses, MRT, or we can reduce even more by just walking. By doing these things, we can produce a lot less pollution.

I agree with you. It's important to understand the difference between what we really need and what we just want. If we cut down on non-essential purchases and choose ways of getting around like walking or using public transport instead of driving, we can help reduce pollution and protect the environment for the future. Even small actions can make a big difference.

Wants are things that make the experience of human life better, they are not necessities. Whereas needs are necessities to live. An example of a want is going on vacation, you do not need to go spend a week somewhere but people want to. This type of want increases peoples carbon footprint by a lot. Needs can also constitute as want, for example we need food, but we don’t necessarily need fast food multiple times. According to Budgeting Needs vs Wants: A How-to Guide your needs should always come before your wants, but that is not how it always goes. People would rather have fun and spend more money than stay home and only buy the essentials. Human beings typically have a tendency to confuse wants and needs. While we need a pair of shoes, we don’t need 12. Another example could be technology; technology nowadays is essential to schoolwork. However, we do not need to replace technology everytime something new comes out. A lot of people have privileges that they do not even realize, so some of their “needs' ' are really just wants but they have never had to live without them, so it has become part of their way of life. To improve our carbon footprint we need to learn how to differentiate wants and needs. We also need to learn to place limits on certain needs and not go overboard. We could do this by making Wants vs. Needs an issue and places it into the mainstream media. We should prioritize this all around the world, not just in our community. Ways we could do this is by putting it on billboards, getting the government to talk about it. Along with getting to younger audiences by making this a more prominent thing in schools that gets talked about frequently. While we teach about reducing our carbon footprints, we must also learn to do it ourselves. In the future we must strive to make our impact on planet Earth better!

While wants and needs are very different things, the line between them can sometimes get blurred. For example, we need to eat, but we may want to eat some foods over others, foods that might be more expensive or harder to come by. There is also the distinction of what we feel the need to do rather than what we actually need to do. For example, we may feel the need to drive ourselves to school, work, or extracurricular activities, when there are so many other, more sustainable transportation options to use if we even really need to get there at all.
When it comes down to it, the only things we, as humans, really need are food, water, shelter, rest, and breathable air. Everything else, from modern conveniences and appliances to fast fashion to social media, is all an add-on. Because of our society today, however, we have greatly heightened the importance of these “add-ons”, shifting our perspective of these wants into needs. To truly only have what we need, we would have to alter our society as a whole.
However, once we recognize this, there are several steps we can take to slightly tone down our wants, and incorporate them more into our needs. For example, buying organic and locally sourced food, especially food that is in season, can show support for farmers using a smaller carbon footprint. Walking and/or biking instead of driving, and using public transportation as much as possible helps reduce your carbon emissions greatly. While social media can obviously be fun, reducing time spent on electronics impacts your carbon energy footprint a great deal. And even though fast fashion can come with social pressure and it may feel necessary to buy all new clothes, thrifting and making do with what you already have is a very beneficial choice for the environment. Even small things, such as buying larger tubes of toothpaste instead of a ton of travel-sized tubes to reduce plastic waste, buying deodorant in a non-plastic container instead of using your favorite brand that comes in plastic, and saving snacks such as chips in a one-serving-sized plastic bag for special occasions, and instead eating less heavily packaged, healthier food that will do a better job filling you up and reduce the packaging waste.
It’s never easy to sacrifice wants, and it can be hard at times to distinguish them from needs in the moment, but if we all tried doing just one thing to cut down on our unnecessary indulgences, our world, and our society, would be wanting and needing less from us.

Wants and needs are very different from each other because a want is something that you do not need but you desire to have. A need is something that is needed for human survival. When it comes to spending, a need should be 50% of your budget and a want should be 30% of your budget. A want is something that can improve your quality of life. Wants may be helpful or make life easier but unless you die without them they are not considered needs. A need includes food, water, clothing, shelter, and medical care. Needs are those items that are required for life and do not change with time. As opposed to, wants are those items that are desired by an individual either right now or in future. Therefore, wants might change over time. Some people choose wants over needs because they have a self centeerd outlook on life. They are self indulgent, pleasure seeking and unrestrained when it comes to satisfying their desires. Needs are secondary and only come into the picture if they provide personal pleasure or satisfaction. Understanding the difference between wants and needs frees us from unnecessary burdens and begins to align our lives with more lasting fulfillment. Before we buy stuff that we want, consider these questions: Do I need it? What do I gain from this? How much does it cost? With these questions, it will help you decide whether or not you should buy the product. Adding limits to what we want, we can make the world a better place. Having the latest technology is typically considered a want rather than a need. While technology can enhance productivity, communication, and entertainment, it's not essential for basic survival or well-being.

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I agree that you should have a budget on the amount you spend on the things you want but we all only live once and what's the point of not having what you want. Spending half your money on the necessities also seems a little excessive. You could just lower how much you're buying of everything in general. You said that a want is just meant for personal pleasure and based on that if you don't buy your wants you'll just be bored. Wants and needs don't have to carry burdens unless you make it have one. I would say that asking the questions like if you need it or how much it costs would create more of a burden just live life. I see where you're coming from with the new technologies but the consumers will buy it no matter what because it's “better”. Also with that everything that is a need can be too expensive like certain pieces of clothes. So like I said earlier, limiting how much is spent on needs can help. Also those questions should be the ones we think about because people really make dumb decisions in the heat of the moment. Some other people don't really think about those questions. Also thinking about how these things impact our lives, a want is sometimes needed for human survival. I disagree on how you said modern technology is a need because if you have an older phone or car it could create a lot of problems in your life. Like having to spend more money on your car which would increase spending on the carbon footprint. A need is not always something for human survival because you’ve gone so many years without something that is a need and not having it for a little more doesn’t really matter.
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https://www.forritcu.org/needs-vs-wants … ifference/

When we are buying things, I think we have to consider if the "thing" you want is necessary. For example, air, water, food, or clothes are necessary for you. Things that you want, should not be bought often. I know humans like to buy thing they like, but this is causing the world to collapse.  So, after today consider if the "thing" you are buying is necessary or not. Start caring about our own world and make it to a better one!!!

Sorry, typo. It should be Necessary.

Many people say they need to have something in order for them to be happy, but need is something we need in order to survive like food, water, air, shelter, and warmth. Buying a car or phone isn't a need, we won't die even if we don't have them. Want is extra things to keep us happy and comfortable like a transportation to go. If we can sort out what we actually need and what we just want, we can save many resources not buying unnecessary products like plastic toys, models, etc. We don't need a Lego set in order to live. For example, if we can save our money buying Lego the plastic pieces might become trash and end up floating in the ocean or laying there in a garbage dump. If we think buying little things won't hurt the planet, each small purchase adds up until we kill many habitats and ecosystems. We have to start thinking to do the right thing and buy important things that can really help you when you buy it.

I agree, sometimes we feel like we are just buying something little, but if everybody thinks this way and we keep buying them, it is going to create a lot of pollution. We should really think about whether what we are buying is really necessary. We don't need thirty pairs of basketball shoes.

We all want things we can’t have whether it’s clothes, traveling, etc. Wants and needs are very different. Needs are the things we need in life such as a roof over your head, water, and food. Wants are things we don’t necessarily need but buy for our own entertainment. To fix our limitations for wants, we must know if we need to buy it or not. Before we buy stuff that we want, consider these questions: Do I need it? What do I gain from this? How much does it cost? With these questions, it will help you decide whether or not you should buy the product. Adding limits to what we want, we can make the world a better place. Overconsumption occurs in a lot of countries with the excessive use of something.
Overconsumption is one of the causes of bad climate change and environment damage. Overconsumption can worsen greenhouse gas emissions and cause bad pollution. Which is why thinking before we buy something can help the world become a better place. After all, this is our home.

Exactly. Think before you do something that can be harmful to our precious yet dying planet. You might want something, but you might not need it. This is the case where you decide: Do you want to buy something that's unnecessary just because you saw it, liked it, and wanted to buy it? Or do you want to help reduce carbon footprint and save the Earth? Of course, you can still reward yourself with small gifts, but I hope we can all focus on saving the Earth. In other words, we are just preventing our greedy actions from destroying our planet.

Having the latest technology is typically considered a want rather than a need. While technology can enhance productivity, communication, and entertainment, it's not essential for basic survival or well-being. Access to technology may vary depending on individual circumstances and societal expectations, but it generally falls into the category of wants rather than needs.

i want to say that alot of things now is a want than a need, the technology can produce and mke things humans want ,i woould say to be honest i would  agree that huans use needs to cover up their wants

so some things in the planet earth isnt needed for us when humans make it,so is it true we need it or is it jsut the fact that we want it? if we really need it does it effect the enviroment or if we want it does the enviroment realy need the things that we want but isnt needed. now technology can make things umans want but is it really a need?

wants or needs? DO WE NEED ALL OF IT?

What is a want and what is a need to you? For me, wants are things that aren’t necessarily something we have to have, instead it is something we desire. A need, on the other hand, to me, is something that is necessary for all human beings. That counts as water, food, clothing, etc… So, after looking at my carbon footprint, I realized that I can cut down on many wants. Things like using my electronics too much and buying things. Of course, clothing is crucial for human beings but, we don’t need to be buying excessive clothing. Sometimes, having too much is a waste because we might not even wear it at all. So, we should look through our closets once in a while and if we have excessive clothing or just anything in general, we can donate them to charity. Instead of wasting money on things for leisure, we should spend our money wisely, and buy things we actually need more of. It could even be spending our money on charities and donating to them. If yo don’t wanna spend money, then of course, as I mentioned, you can donate your things.

I think that the question you posed is and incredibly important question and a question that people should be asking more often. In so many conditions, people indulge in commodities that they "desire" or "want", usually consuming goods that are not necessary for their wellbeing. I think that it is great that you came to the realization that you can cut down on things that fall outside of your needs and it shows a level of maturity and control that many people need to learn. If people in general can cut down on the need to buy things (clothes, cars, electronics, beauty products, etc.) just because they want them, whether because they saw an ad or heard about it on social media, it would contribute to the continued fight against climate change and show that people are willing to buy products that they need and not just want. If this happened, there would not be as great a need to over produce cheap products and the impact on the climate and world in general would be amazing.

In my opinion, everyone can reduce his footprint if they be aware about what they need and what they want. Many objects seem necessary but it is not true.

I agree with you, only we only pay attention when we have an idea of what we are doing. As a student I don't pay attention to what I consume.

i am agree

I agree. In the modern era, it's very common for people to buy things not because they need them for survival or convenience, but rather because they "look nice" or are attractive to them in some other way. We must realize when this is happening, and try to cut back on purchases like these. That way the materials otherwise used to make these products can be diverted for more environmental purposes, and your money can be spent on something more essential to your everyday life.

Is traveling a want or a need? Well, that depends on how you want to live and what you prioritize in life. If you believe that the most important thing in life is to visit family and friends abroad, discover new things, and see many different places while experience different cultures, then yes, traveling is a need. However, if you believe that what you need is just basic things to make sure you survive such as things like food, water and shelter, then no, traveling is not a need for you. Cutting down on expenses and pollution can always be good, but if it's how you want to live your life, then do it! Some people may be willing to give up basic needs to be able to enjoy what they think is most important in life. Prioritizing also has to do with your living conditions and your financial status. If you have good living conditions and financial status, then you may claim that materialistic things are part of your needs, while others with poor living conditions and bad financial status may strongly disagree. Moreover, some may argue that non of these are their needs. All they need may be just love either by parents, family, friends or a partner. They would be willing to give up all they have for that particular person or group of people. So, really, there's no an actual how-to guide on whether something is a want or need. It all depends on what you want to prioritize, because after all it is your life. Cutting on expenses and air pollution is obviously preferred, but if you have really decided that is not what you want, then no one can physically force you to do it.

I think that traveling is something that pollutes a lot and it is more of a want than a need honestly, in my opinion traveling is good for your peace mind and disconnecting from
reality but when you travel quite a lot is not necessary and it pollutes a lot, so we should think more about the environment when traveling.

I both disagree and agree. Travelling can be a want, you want to go to Mexico with your family, or you want to go to Japan with your best friend. Those are wants. Travelling can also be a need though. People often travel for their line of work which then turns into a need. Sometimes you need to travel to make a living. So I see how flights can be a want and a need at different times. saying all this my opinion is that lots of flights can and should be avoided. Travelling for fun is great every once and a while, but if you look to help save the climate then avoiding flights should be a priority.

i both disagree and agree with you. i think that it depends on how you look at it. For example, some people consider traveling as a want because its something they enjoy to do because they like exploring and new experiences. however for others, travelling can be seen as a need, especially if it has to do with work, education, or essential purposes, like getting medical treatments or visiting family members. i think that it really just various from person to person with their individual circumstances. with all that said, travelling is something fun to do but if you want to help save the planet then i think you should consider how much your travelling and try and reduce it as much as possible.

I think that even if traveling is a want and not a need, it can be extremely helpful in seeing the bigger picture and having some perspective. Many people unconsciously assume that everywhere else in the world is making the same effort and having the same outcome as their country. When traveling, you often realize that some countries have done so much more to address the climate crisis. You may also see people and places that inspire you to continue fighting climate change, be it pristine or destroyed places.

I think that travelling can be both a want and a need. We travel almost every day whether it’s by bussing, driving, or flying on a plane for various reasons. Sometimes we’ll travel somewhere because we want to, which may include going on vacation or even driving to the beach. But most of the time when we’re travelling it’s for something we need to do. Like getting to work, buying groceries, or going to school. I’m sure there are ways we can travel somewhere which will be more sustainable, but in some cases it’s unavoidable. Some people don’t have access to public transport and they live in remote areas where it’s too far to walk.

For the most part I agree with this because as someone who has only really traveled for vacations and getaways, I can see how environmentally impactful (negative) this is, but I if I'm being honest, I tend to not think about it as much since I only focus on the fact I get to go and enjoy a holiday. But I also disagree in some aspects because ever since I moved to a different state, away from most family, I recognize that traveling is an essential aspect in my life, in order to see family and have those bonding opportunities I otherwise would not, I find it almost a necessity to fly home. Obviously when the cost is factored into it, I think most middle/lower class families would drive instead of fly, but honestly, most long-distance traveling isn't sustainable and isn't just going to suddenly disappear.

I think that travelling is both a want and a need. Sometimes we travel to gain access to things that are not in our country (i.e. clothes, certain shops, etc.). Sometimes, we travel to visit family members who we don't see often. If we visit a family member that we don't see because they have (example) a medical condition that needs to be taken care of, that seems more like a need compared to a want. Essentially, I believe that visiting another place just to purchase new things just shows that it is more of a want than a need.

I agree with you that traveling is a very big polluter, but I think that traveling is very necessary for a lot of people. I myself have family far away overseas and have to take 12+ hour flight to reach our destination. These are family members that are very close to us, and it is important that we meet them once in a while, but it is only about once every 1-3 years. While it is a fact that traveling emits lots of carbon into the environment, I think it is fine if done in moderation.

I agree, traveling indeed can pollute Earth. So maybe we should use more public transportation rather than private ones.

Sometimes what we want isn't what we need. If we buy less unnecessary things, then we can reduce our carbon footprint. We can also use that excess money to help people who can't even buy what they need. An example is how many women are obsessed with cosmetics when they already have enough. They just buy it for fun or to show off. But just think about how much money you can donate to the needy if you save the excess cosmetics money. So let's take action and reduce our carbon footprint together!

I think that traveling by plane pollutes a lot. In my opinion, it is good because you go to disconnect and get to know a new culture.

I think that travelling in some cases is totally necessary such as if you are visiting your family and they live overseas, but it also causes a whole lot of pollution. I dont think travelling by airplane is always needed.Such as in lockdown my family couldnt fly anywhere so we focused on driving around our province and it really opened up my eyes on how there is so much where you are and so much to see.You dont need to fly somewhere when there is so many places that people dont notice.

In my opinion travelling can be totally necessary if you need to visit family, or attend a funeral or wedding but the downside to these trips are planes create a lot of problems and pollution. In some scenarios travelling by plane is not always necessary. For instance the year when covid was around my family’s trip got canceled, so we drove to Ossoyoos and Kelowna instead. My experience was amazing and i saw how amazing places right here in our own province is.

I think that because traveling and planes is already done so much, we need to focus on making planes less of a polluter. From the little research I have done, there are fuels being tested that do not emit carbon. These are known as biofuels and if we are able to implement these, it would make drastic changes. Things like high speed rails and electric cars cannot travel over water, so planes are not something we can just get rid of. Families need to be able to visit each other and international travel helps bring humans together and sticking together is what we need to do to combat climate change.

I believe while traveling and modes of transportation like cars, boats, planes, etc. are massive contributors to many peoples’ carbon emissions, traveling shouldn’t be thrown out as a whole. Although it’s not all of the time, traveling is still a necessity sometimes. I believe humanity needs travel for many reasons, from economic trade to just simply seeing family; not to mention the amount of countries that rely of tourism to stay afloat. I think that if humans are so determined to become more advanced while at the same time reversing the effects of climate change, we should focus more on creating biofuel instead of cutting off all possibilities of traveling internationally. Traveling should definitely be cut back on if completely unnecessary, especially through air travel as it’s one of the main contributors to air pollution and has no alternative fuel to be even remotely eco-friendly.

Traveling shouldn't be looked down upon or discouraged, even though it and other forms of transportation such as cars, boats, planes, etc. are huge contributors to c02 emissions. Traveling is a necessary part of the human life. it gives us the opportunity to explore new places and cultures, learn new things, and make connections with people from all over the world, to take this way would be depriving the new generation of humans from a once in a lifetime experience. while the consequences of air travel are real I strongly believe we should be putting more effort into producing biofuel rather than removing all international travel.

In our society, there are always changing trends and micro-trends circulating. Many of these will only be popular for a few months or less. When we see something that's trendy, we often don't think about how long we will wear it or how long it will last. We may see something in store or online we like, but never wear it. It's important to know how clothes you like differ from the clothes you like on yourself and what you will wear it with. Sometimes you need to give yourself time to see if you will wear it in the long run.

replying to carbonara123 i agree and i feel like a lot of people dont understand how wasteful it is to buy fast fashion that bis trending because you only wear it a couple of times and then forget about it in the back of their closets, because it is no longer in style. we waste so much trying to make cheap, bad quality items that will eventually be thrown out because people feel they cant wear stuff after it is out of style.

I completely agree with this. Sure, it's nice to buy all the trendy clothes and be in style, but not everyone takes into account how much waste it causes. When you're planning on buying clothing, it's much more beneficial to invest into something more expensive that will last in the long run instead of something cheap that will only last for a couple wears. There are many brands that intrigue you with fast-fashion, but most things are poor quality and are meant to last as long as the trends do. These companies we're buying from don't care about the waste, they only want to make money. They know that once an article of clothing becomes popular on social media, people will go crazy to get their hands on them quickly. By purchasing  from them, we're giving more money to make more cheap clothes and cause more waste.  In my opinion, trendy clothes are most definitely a want.

I think trendy cloths would be a want instead of a need, because although cloths are a need, it being trendy is not. as a teen there is some pressure of keeping up with the trends, especially in cloths, and top clothing brands, but most of them are just mass-produced and after the trends have moved on to another type of clothing, that once trendy top you bought is now just a piece of clothing that you might not want to wear anymore due to another trendy top that is better. A lot of trendy cloths get dumped, and end up in the land fill, swell as create green house gas, contributing to climate change

I agree it’s a want. We are constantly being influenced to buy more. Clothes especially. The issue with trendy clothes is that they’re being produced at a mass amount, the factories that they’re made in produce a lot of pollution and the clothes that aren’t bought end up getting thrown out. We too throw out clothing when it’s not “trending” anymore. It’s so harmful to the environment because a lot of materials are used to make clothes and most of it ends up in a landfill.

I agree with Elaria that trendy clothes are definitely affecting the planet in a negative way, but as a teenager who's easily influenced by trends and other things seen on social media, it's hard to not cave into these trend clothes as it seems to now be society's norm. I think a good alternative to these trendy pieces is getting more pieces of clothing that you will continue to rewear after these trends come and go. It is hard to not purchase these trendy pieces when it does feel good to keep up with what's popular but another way to stay trendy is to thrift or make pieces yourself.

I agree with you, we are a society built on overconsumption. The waste of fast fashion is incredibly huge. The amount of clothing we purchase and throw out each year is absurd. Companies like SHEIN don’t help with this. Furthermore, thrifting is supposed to be the best way we can dispose of clothing but places like goodwill send their clothing to countries in Africa- which destroys their local economy and leads to piles of clothing on their beaches. (https://www.insideedition.com/mountains … hana-69935). We can reduce this by not buying fast fashion and instead buying in quality over quantity. Of course, this is dependent on your financial situation, but the earth, Ghana, and the employees being overworked making all the cheap clothing will thank you.

From my perspective, phones are a necessity in the modern era due to their fundamental role in communication, access to information and various utilities. However, the choice of phone type may vary depending on individual preferences and needs. In short, they are essential, but personal choice plays an important role.

I agree with you. Certain Wants and needs are definitely different especially with something like a phone and like you said it Vareis on the person. On terms of supporting our environment, we often only focus on what we want and disregard what impact it might have on the environment.

I completely agree that phones are an essential part of life today as phones act as a very efficient method to communication, access to information, and a multitude of utilities. Phones are a very useful device due to their extreme multi-functionality. The main downside to phones is the way they’re made. Phones are made up from many components such as rare metals, and the process for creating each phone emits mass amounts of carbon. So although the production of phones is a major contributor to the world’s carbon footprint; they are very essential to modern day societies and should remain within them. Phones are most definitely a need, not just a want.

I agree, phones are a basic necessity in the modern human world because of how much our world depends on them. We need them for communication, for traveling, etc. Phones are the one thing that everyone will more then likely have in their life time because of how much we need them and use them. We also all want one because of social media and what not so it seems like phones are a want and a need but mainly a need.

Brands like ZARA, and H&M are some of the many brands that do what is known as “fast fashion”. If you have any social media you know very well that trends come and go a lot. These brands grab on to these trends and as soon as they are out of style, the clothes are thrown in a landfill and the cycle continues. You might say that not all brands do this but without proper research you might not know. Another point is that the clothes are not good quality and are made from plastic. In 2021 the fast fashion industry released almost 900 million metric tons of CO2. If that doesn’t tell you that something needs to change,  I don't know what else will. The next question you might have is “what is the alternative?” Well I have just the answer. Thrifting, getting hammy downs, and consigning clothes are all ways you can not participate in fast fashion. If you are worried about quality, there are plenty of higher end thrift stores all over and it not like all clothes at thrift stores are bad. Also, using clothes to their fullest and even repairing clothes yourself can help them have a longer life span. Overall, fast fashion is awful for the environment, and there are so many other, better options to get your clothes.

There are so many that we want. I would like to go shopping, get a new phone, buy new clothes and MAYBE some necessities but most of the things I want are not needs. I have the things I need and the more we buy, the more factories are producing our wants and using more fossil fuels. So in the end is it really worth it? I think the effect on our planet is much more important than all the things we want. So maybe next time, when you're shopping, stop and think for a second if it's a want or a need and how it just might affect the Earth.

Wants and needs are something we all struggle with especially high school students. Many students want an iPhone or AirPods, we don't need it but we would like to have it. These students also struggle with understanding their needs in school. Students think they need the best clothes to go to school but in reality, you need the best grades to pass. Students need good studying habits and school materials, not designer belts and brand-name jeans.

A large issue in carbon emissions is the demand and production of goods. Businesses make more to provide for the amount demanded by the consumers. This causes increase in waste and carbon emissions during this process increase as well, impacting the environment. However, what if we start to reduce our consumption and begin to question if we can begin to be conscious of how much we are buying. Some ways you can do this is to switch to reusable products, such as metal straws, water filters, and cloth bags. You can also support sustainable brands that use eco-friendly materials and practices. By doing this, less waste will reduce your carbon footprint and communities can start to become more environmentally friendly.

I agree and disagree with certain aspects of this person’s view on wants and need. I agree with their view on wants and need because I get how not every consumer needs more materials, food, and clothes etc. Even though the consumer doesn’t really need more materials and etc, I think i also disagree because some people eat and buy this things that makes them happy which help the world so it really just depends on the citation and the person.

My total carbon footprint is 16,522 and actions I will take to lower that number is to eat less meat and more fruit and to not get the latest technology so often. Having the latest technology is definitely more of a want then a need even though the newer tech tends to work faster and better. I get a new phone about every 2 years, but I don't believe it's necessary to get a new one constantly.