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 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.

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.

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.

https://study.com/
https://www.becomingminimalist.com/
https://www.forritcu.org/
https://www.nerdwallet.com/

Its possible the newkids on the block

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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.
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2018/ … footprint/
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.

There are son many different ways for people to get protein provided by meat without actually eating meat that it is appalling that people chose to still eat the corpses of dead animals, and calling it food. Plant based meat is a much better alternative. It is healthier, better for animals, and in some cases, it tastes better. Now, there is a debate that some people make: Plant based meat is expensive! That brings me to another point, plant based meat costs should be lowered and readily available for everyone.

I agree. One of the primary sources of meat, beef (cow meat), is detrimental to the environment because the digestion process of cows produce a lot of methane that is released into the atmosphere. The US is also the country that consumes the most amount of beef by a long shot, so even switching to other meat sources like chicken, is a way to help our ecosystem and reduce the amount of beef production. Plant based meat is also another great option, although it isn't available to everyone, which is unfortunate. However, in the future, more affordable plant based meet would be an excellent solution,

I hope your mom buys plant based meat for family dinner and gets food poisoning and dies.

I can totally see what you are saying for this point and that killing animals contributes to climate a fair bit, but i believe that consuming meat is a personal choice and shouldn't be something we should shame others for doing. So many people get there income from selling meat and that is the only source of income, and putting them out of business would create even more homelessness in the world. But to touch on what i said at the start, it is a personal choice and the best thing you can do if you feel strongly about this is educating people about this (like you are doing) and sharing your perspective. Me personally i dont eat much red meat, but i do eat chicken and fish and i find that perfectly fine.

abmcfly, while I think Gatlin_696969 went a little to far, the consumption of meat is part of the cycle of life, while I think factory farms that kill thousands of animals a day are very bad, humanity has been sustainably living of animals since cave men with no problems until the industrial revolution, eating animals isn't bad, the industrial killing of animals is.
ps. there is no plant based meat that tastes nearly as delicious as a good medium rare steak.

While there may be many ways to consume food in a more sustainable fashion, most options are not realistic for the average family. With food prices rising, we have to consider that not everyone can afford a plant based, organic, whole foods meal on a daily basis. It is unfair to assume that those people are doing this with a total disregard for the planet, or that they simply cannot be bothered. Abmcfly, you argue that the cost of plant based meat should be lowered, but it really is not that simple. While I am not here to defend large corporations, I have to assume that they can’t change the price tags on a whim. While you may be in a position to have a plant based diet, it is important to remember that not everyone is, and to not imply that everyone who eats meat is a bad person fo doing so.

climate change is caused by many global issues, but humans are the main problem as we do not appreciate the earth when we use items that harm it. even though these materials are more convenient, they are destroying the earth as we continue to live today. One example is cars. cars use fossil fuels to operate, and these gases rise into the air and pollute the atmosphere. although cars are one of the best options to get around places, there are other ways of transportation that do not harm the earth, such as walking, biking, electric vehicles or even public transportation and carpooling so more people can get around using less gas. A car is a want because there are other options that people can use to transport. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/201 … 713722001/ and https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/s … ate-change

Cars can be a tricky topic. They have been very beneficial for transportation, but as it was said above, they use a lot of fossil fuels that pollute the Earth. One exception is electric cars. Electric cars are not harming the atmosphere through fossil fuels and are not using gas. The topic of cars can be difficult to convince people cause most don't want to resort to more harmless options like biking, public transit, and the costs of electric vehicles. I think a change that society can make regarding this is reducing prices of electric vehicles. This will encourage more people to buy electric if prices are similar to gas vehicles. Cars are very convenient for people and if we can convince more people to go electric, it can reduce our pollution into the atmosphere. Although cars are a problem, I believe they're a need.

I think that we need some type of transportation but cars aren’t really necessary, as long as we have busses or some type of transportation that can save some CO2 we will be good, a lot of the places that we go to aren’t walking distance, like work. Not everyone is going to the same place or on the same route so if your work is really far, you would have to wake up earlier than usual unlike if you took a car.

in my opinion cars were needs about 20 years ago but wants now. As they where needed to get around and travel but now that there are so many alternate ways of travelling such as taking the bus and transit there isn't so much demand for cars, Especially gas powered cars which have kind of been out phased due to electric cars. I understand the fact that electric cars cost a lot of money and some people might not have a place to charge them but if we are trying to make a difference on this planet walking or biking  makes a big difference.

I feel that cars are both wants and needs. For some people cars are a necessity, as in driving for work delivering certain items where public transportation wont be possible, driving long distances, and people that have certain schedules. On the other hand, cars can be a want for some people who like showing off their cars, and for those who drive for their own and other’s pleasure.

Now for most cases, having the latest and most up to date technology is not a need.  It is simply something that people want.  This is natural because we, as humans want to have what is currently "trending".  Unfortunately, when people get more and more of this harmful technology, it continues to hurt the environment and the person purchasing it.  When getting all the latest technology, it consumes resources that then release more carbon into the atmosphere.  The production of technology uses non-renewable resources and coal to generate electricity.  According to Exploros' How Technology can Harm the environment, "Carbon emissions get released into the atmosphere from cars, airplanes, power plants and factories."  this says that most of the carbon emissions are released from factories that produce things like technology.  So, to save our planet and our health, it is important to distinguish between the Wants and Needs in our life. 

Sources:
1. https://www.exploros.com/summary/how-te … technology.
2. https://www.trvst.world/environment/neg … vironment/

I think everybody should be on the same page for this. Latest technology is a want. There is nothing that can convince me that a person needs a new phone as soon as a company releases one. I've has my phone for about 4 years now, and it still functions perfectly fine. Sure, it doesn't have some features that newer phones have, but it has the basic texting, calling, social media, etc. A phone can last you for a good amount of time, and consistently buying a new one isn't doing the planet any favours. All because the new phone seems super cool with so many new updates, I'm sure it's not much different than the three models before it.

In these past 20 or so years, pretty much every person in the world has acquired a  cellphone. But, is it a want or a need? In my opinion, i believe it can be both. On one hand, in ancient times, the people didn't have phones and they lived perfectly fine lives, getting entertainment from books, art, music, dance etc. But on the other hand, we have technology that can give us all that entertainment without having to go anywhere or do anything, plus we have instant communication. We can just click a few buttons and send a message to anyone in the whole entire world.
In conclusion, our phones connect us like never before, which can be good or bad.

Although, objectively, phones are most definitely a want I would argue that within our current society, they are a need. Within our society, our phones/the internet connect us and have created a whole new culture that cannot just be taken away. People use their phones every single day and give us a way of self-expression, communication, accessing information, and much more. Without phones, the world would be so different that it is unimaginable, which is why I think that phones are definitely a need.

Hello, I am a student at the Historiador Chabas institute in Denia, Alicante.
In my opinion, the mobile phone is a necessity that has provided us with many advanced technologies. Nowadays everyone has a mobile phone, where this object becomes multipurpose since you can listen to music, use the map, read books on it and a thousand other uses. It is true that today the last generation is already based on all this, and it can imply a lot in our future intellectual development.
There are applications that steal from us and make it easier for us to do it directly or even stores where they lose workers due to technology. In conclusion, I agree that the mobile phone and the technologies notch connect us and facilitate us in good and bad ways.

Well, a lot of people think phones are a want, and in part it’s true, because if in the past anyone need it and they were able to live and evolute without them, nowadays we should be able too.
The fact that our society has learned how to live with them, makes things harder to stop using them.
Last but not least, using phones with moderation is not that bad so we need to be aware of our planet to not endanger it in excess.

I think that for a lot of people a phone is a need. Society is changing to be more technology focused. For some professions and lifestyles not having a phone is detrimental. Times are changing and will continue doing so. Sometimes change is great, women's rights etc. but change can also be bad, climate change etc. But I think that phones can be used for good. Phones can share information about climate change and also reduce the need for travel. Obviously, phones have ill side effects, but what doesn't? The use of phones will be a controversial topic for a long time, but a phone is a tool, which is not inherently good or bad.

i personally think that it can be both but i am leaning more towards a need. i think it is a need because for a young teenager like me, i rely on my phone for things like directions and to call others. i also find that i feel safer when i have my phone, like at late at night i feel more comfortable walking with a phone rather then not having one. therefore i see having phone as a need more than a want.

in my opinion phones are wants. Sometimes they're necessary such as when you need to call someone for help  or you need to search something up but they are also made to be as addictive as possible and they have allowed people to hide behind a screen and belittle others which have definitely altered peoples lives . Back when tech wasn't as prominent, no one needed to worry about coming home to see people making fun of them, but now it's an extra thing to worry about. Phones are definitely very useful and handy but they also bring lots of distraction and chaos.

I believe that phones are either a need or want depending on your age. For younger kids (elementary aged) phones are mostly used for games and messaging friends which is nice and good to have, but is definitely not a necessity. Whereas when you get older (high school) teachers tend to rely on phones a fair bit for online educational games like Kahoot, answering quizzes online, and a big thing is teams. Our school uses teams to communicate all our assignments and reminders. And you could use a laptop or ipad but having a phone makes it a lot easier and is more accesible. So thats why i think it really depends on your age.

I believe phones have become more of a need rather than just a want. Phones have become essential for communication, staying in contact with others, and accessing information on the go. I think that a lot of people see phones as a need but also as a want. For example kids ranging from grade 6-12 want the newest I phone to try and fit in with the cool kids or having the newest update but in reality you can have an iPad, computer, or laptop that can do all the things a phone can do. In conclusion of what I've been saying so far phones now a days have became more of a need than a want.

Yes, I feel that phones are a need and not a want.For example, people rely on there phones a lot because they help make our lives easier, let us communicate with our peers and family and a phone does more work than a computer, camera and calculator. I feel for me, I rely on my phone for everything and without it I would be so lost. You also brought fact on how people in olden days didn't need phones and technology. Our world has changed a lot since the olden days and  there are many more crazy things that are happening in our world and without our phones I feel that we would bye unaware on what's happening and what we can do. To end this off, I feel that phone sae a want and not a need.

I think phones can be both a want as well as a need. Phones can be wants especially for younger kids, just wanting to get a phone for games and, to “look cool/older” but I don’t think most younger kids need phones especially if they aren’t using it to contact with there parents and or other safety reasons in needing a phone. Although phones, can be wants for some people phones are a need. For me, my phone is a need because I have to walk to and from places sometimes, and need a phone in case of an emergency, for example if I get lost or I need to contact someone about something. Those are my reasons on why I think phones can be wants and needs in different situations.

I think that many of the things with which we waste a large amount of carbon are simple desires, which are not necessary to live, we simply buy it or use it in order to improve our quality of life even if it is not a primary need.
Do we really need all the things we buy? As teenagers it is difficult for us to distinguish between needs and desires, but we can try.
If we were more aware and less selfish with the environment we would stop doing things like: reducing unnecessary purchases or reducing the consumption of meats or ultra-processed elements. That these are simple wishes.

si no irene

There are many things in life that are wants and needs, but there is a big difference between the two. A want is something that you want, like travelling and entertainment. Needs are things that are necessary for living, like food, water, clothes and shelter. Needs are what your body needs to function properly. Wants are things that your body doesn't need to function.

That's very true. A lot of people will only think of what they want and need, not what the planet needs. They might wnat to go on vacation every few months, but they don't think about how the planet needs to be treated properly. Needs are things like water and food, and preferably shelter, and it is horrible because some people can have all of their needs and all of their wants, where as some less fortunate people can't even meet all of their own needs. I think a lof of people need to think of the bigger picture, and not just what will make them happy for the next week. There's plenty of things that you can do in place of the things that they want that will impact the environment less in a negative way.

I totally agree with you there is a big gap between wanting and earning. nd also need are something very important and alot of people think that if they do somthing good for the world everyone will start doing the same but that is not how it works.

@KenH I totally agree with you! Wants and needs are definitely different. On terms of supporting our environment, we often only focus on what we want and disregard what impact it might have on the environment. For example, we spend a lot on clothing, and we don’t tend to think about its impact. Today the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of our global emissions. A recent survey revealed that many women agree that an article of clothing worn 1-2 times can be considered “old”. We really need to take a step back and consider the consequences of our actions. When we buy so much clothing, we waste a large range of resources and cause numerous negative impacts on our environment. As a society we have to be aware of our choices and should think about our wants vs our needs.

What you say is true, since today many families and many people can afford to travel, spend their whims and look out for themselves, but this is true that for a small part there is greater pollution and we do not see many times for what the planet needs just because we feel like it and the "for once nothing happens" really does happen.

And personally they could see improvements on the planet and less pollution from airplanes if, for example, flights of less than 45 minutes were eliminated or if we made airplanes that do not pollute as much.
At the same time, pollution from cars, motorcycles, and motorcycles could be reduced if we did not go to a place that is a 5-minute walk away, so taking the motorcycle instead of walking, and if we all make a small change in the end it could be improved the pollution of the planet

We want to eat pizza and play video games. We need to save the earth. We want to take the short trip to the kitchen garbage. We need to bring it all the way out to the recycling. We want to buy those sick new Nikes. We need to stop. Think. Make the right call.

Do you know how many kilos of CO2 it takes for one phone to be made? According to 8billiontrees.com, it takes about of 80 kg of CO2 emissions to make a phone. This is just the process of mining the materials and exporting them, manufacturing them in factories, and transporting them to companies. After it has been bought, it will emit more CO2 when it is connected to the internet and is being used. With this amount of carbon being used just for one phone, imagine how much CO2 has been emitted because of all the phones around the world. According to researchers in McMaster University, the total carbon emissions of phones are currently 125 megatons per year. So is there any ways to lower our carbon emissions through our phones? Yes, there are many ways to reduce this amount. One way is that we can reduce the screen time of our phones so that less WiFi is used and less co2 is emitted. Another solution is to stop upgrading our phones every year because of the release of new models. Data  shows that newer iPhone models emit more kgs of carbon than older models. Using our phones for an hour every day causes 63 kgs of carbon emissions yearly and using it for 10 hours a day emits 86 kgs of carbon. Reducing screen time and not buying new phone models  will not only be beneficial to us, but also to our planet.
Works cited:
https://8billiontrees.com/carbon-offset … 0processes.
https://reboxed.co/blogs/outsidethebox/ … -reduce-it

Do we really need all the things we buy? As teenagers, it is difficult for us to distinguish between needs and desires, but we can try.
In my opinion, people cannot live without satisfying their personal desires, because this action produces them happiness, but they can realize when they cross a limit that they impose on themselves. For example, we can make a list of wishes, the objectives of which we can tick off in turn, every month. Thus, we will have time to think if we still need all those things, such as a new phone or an mp3 player every year, buying only the strictly necessary and being happy.
In life it is important to maintain a balance between needs and desires, because a new phone model does not make you a better person, it only makes you dependent on it.
In conclusion, don't waste your money on expensive things just because they are fashionable, because as quickly as they appeared, they disappear as quickly, and social media contributes to publicize these aspects of unnecessary consumerism, using new technology against us.

I agree that it is okay to buy some of your wants to make you happy but you should not go overboard.

Yes, this is essential for people to distinguish the line between happy and obsessive.

I mostly agree, most teenagers have a bit trouble separating some of their wants from their needs, but it is not extremely difficult for separating all of their wants vs needs. I like the idea of having a timer from the moment you want something until you let yourself buy it, i believe it could help you realize how unimportant some items you want really are. I also agree with the fact that you brought up how most people are against every since unnecessary purchase, but most people also  fail to ignore that something unnecessary, yet simple, could bring a great amount of joy into someone’s life. I also greatly appreciate the mention of how social media pushes these products onto us as consumers.

Yes as teenagers we must think about our wants and needs because the unnessesary things could increase our carbon footprint to unhealthy levels.

Don't fall for the shopping scam people!

I agree, we need to make sure that we are not constantly getting new things because we do not need the newest thing and it really taxes the environment.

I agree with this because as fun as it is to always have brand new things we should be able to focus more on the priorities, like what's essential to our health like food and shelter. As a teenager, there's a lot of wants like the new iphone that comes out but there's a lot more that builds up once you get something new. I agree with being able to maintain a certain balance between wants and need. I think it's important we do this to keep the satisfaction in getting something new when you do. About 5.6 billion people in the world have access to mobile phones, whether they have one, or they borrow someone else's which is leaving room for the 2.4 billion who may not even be able to afford a phone. I think having one is a certain necessity depending on the situation, but that doesn't necessarily mean getting the brand new one right as it's released. Being appreciative for what you have definitely benefits to everything you earn like when you can buy something new. To a certain extent, I think social media does over advertise things to you as a consumer to make it interesting and intriguing but there's so many better things you can probably buy.
https://datareportal.com/global-digital … ber%202023.

Styrofoam food containers are used widely in almost every single restaurant you could think of. It’s a non reusable container that is cheap and easy to use. It could be considered as not disposable  to, as it could take some upwards of 500 years just to decompose. It pollutes and increases the size of landfills, and won't stop anytime soon. Try your best to bring reusable containers next time you go to a restaurant.

I see what your saying and I agree with you styrofoam containers are easy and cheap to use but cause lots of pollution and we need a better way for it.

Plastic is a material that is widely used in our daily lives due to its convenience and how it can be used for many things making it versatile. But have you ever wondered how harmful it can be to the environment? One harmful thing is that it kills Ocean Life. This affects sea turtles, ocean birds, sharks, and everything in between it can also kill some marine life as well as garbage patches which makes living in that area uninhabitable. This can also be applied to land animals as they too are harmed by plastic choking on plastics. Not to mention it also affects our plant growth which interferes with our ability to grow food or feed livestock. These are not the only things that plastic affects, just major things. We can’t magically go on without plastic but we can start little by little to solve the problem. https://www.twicetheice.com/blog/5-ways … vironment/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a … 6971832721

Wants and needs is good because it heklps peoples enviormewnt footprint making sure that it dosnt make it go high because if it does then people will have too much carbon footprint.

One of the primary sources of meat, beef (cow meat), is detrimental to the environment because the digestion process of cows produce a lot of methane that is released into the atmosphere. The US is also the country that consumes the most amount of beef by a long shot, so even switching to other meat sources like chicken, is a way to help our ecosystem and reduce the amount of beef production. Plant based meat is also another great option, although it isn't available to everyone, which is unfortunate. However, in the future, more affordable plant based meet would be an excellent solution,

Understanding the difference between wants and needs of a teenager is super important to express and cut our carbon footprint. Needs are things you are urgent to need like food, shelter, and clothes. Wants are a total different things than need. Wants are things that are extra that make life easier and makes it more fun for you. A lot of our carbon footprint comes from the things that we want. Things that we don't really need but have a desire for. Things like travel, buying a lot of useless items, and  energy usage. If we really think about it and get the things we really need instead of things that are extra, it might affect the amount of carbon we have in our footprint. This helps out planet out and us at the same time. This can change the amount of carbon in the world.

Understanding the difference between wants and needs of a teenager is super important to express and cut our carbon footprint. Needs are things you are urgent to need like food, shelter, and clothes. Wants are a total different things than need. Wants are things that are extra that make life easier and makes it more fun for you. A lot of our carbon footprint comes from the things that we want. Things that we don't really need but have a desire for. Things like travel, buying a lot of useless items, and  energy usage. If we really think about it and get the things we really need instead of things that are extra, it might affect the amount of carbon we have in our footprint. This helps out planet out and us at the same time. This can change the amount of carbon in the world.

What's the difference between a want and a need? An example of a want could be wanting to get new clothes everyday, or wanting the brand new iphone right as it comes out if you already have one. An example of a need could be your basic resources like food and water, and depending on the situation, an electronic device. The difference between wanting the new iphone if you have one and needing an electronic device could be the fact that what you have probably functions enough unless it's completely dated while some people don't have devices that may need them for school. The difference between shopping for clothes every week and food every week is you probably already have clothes to wear as you might be running low on money and may need to prioritize the right things.

I feel that needs should always prioritize wants.

I also agree that you should prioritize needs over wants because a need is more urgent than a want. When you want something you don’t have to get it right away. Also using your phone example, lets say you went to the store and you had the choice to buy food or a new phone. Well let’s see, without food you would starve which has long lasting health issues tied with it; while without a new phone nothing really changes, it’s just something that you’d have to live without.

Wanting the latest technology is a need. Personally, it's not often that I get the new phone that apple comes out with every year or so. I would like to get it ,but I know it's just a want and it's not a necessity. When I got my first iphone, I didn’t consider the impact that i'll have on the earth’s environment. But learning about carbon footprints  in my biology class, has made me consider how much carbon were releasing out into the atmosphere, and how much harm that impacted the earth ( climate change).In order to reduce the use of carbon footprint, I should began  to think about the outcomes of my needs and wants.

Having the newest cellphone or Mp3 player is definitely a want.I feel like having a flip phone is definitely  a need because of how the world is

Having the newest cellphone or Mp3 player is definitely a want.I feel like having a flip phone is definitely  a need because of how the world is and you need some sort of communication but getting a new iPhone or phone in general every time a new one comes out is definitely a want.

Having the newest cellphone or Mp3 player is definitely a want.I feel like having a flip phone is definitely  a need because of how the world is and you need some sort of communication but getting a new iPhone or phone in general every time a new one comes out is definitely a want.

Carbon footprint is the cumulative carbon dioxide emitted from humans, this includes driving, the amount of electricity you use, and even how long you have the ac on for. But keep in mind Carbon footprint isn't a bad or a good thing, it allows us to keep track of how much we use resources, but it also shows us how much gas we release into the air. To decrease our carbon emissions we must differentiate what's a need and what's a want. First off our needs, this includes cars, electricity, and foods and wants are products that we can live without. If we are able to reduce our wants we can help the carbon emissions lower and save our atmosphere.

When it comes to material indulgence, teenagers are one of the best examples we have. Many of us spend time shopping for fun, going out to eat junk food, and tending to buy the most stuff because it’s trendy at the moment. Now, although this trend of teenagers buying clothes and bags to “ride the wave” has been prevalent all throughout history, is it impossible to deny that it has greatly picked up speed in the modern day (the last decade or so). I know many people my age that blame other teenagers for being wasteful and ignorant, and even more older folks that look down on teenagers for the same reason. One thing that I believe heavily contributes to this is the fact that they don’t particularly get to choose the world they grew up in. Sure, they can choose whether to leave flashy clothes and appearances behind, but everything from the media to familial/friendly relationships has been conditioned to praise those who come up with something new, adore those who made fashion trends,  and interact with those who follow them. Those who distance themselves from social media and fashion tend to gravitate towards other things like books, art, deep friendships with fewer people instead of large friend groups and buying whatever is trendy at the moment. So, it’s not completely their fault. It’s also ours. We have to create a more positive environment that doesn’t support mindless indulgence and spending, and instead romanticize and encourage others to strive towards simple living in order for these ideas of being waste-conscious to others. It’s not their fault whether their parents drive them to school or make them walk/bike. It’s not their choice which light bulbs they use in their house. They didn’t choose how far they lived from school. We all need to work together to make a better future for all of us.

Meat consumption contributes to carbon emissions through various interconnected factors. Firstly, the process of deforestation is often driven by the need for land to raise livestock or grow animal feed crops, releasing stored carbon dioxide and reducing the planet's capacity to absorb it. Additionally, ruminant animals like cattle produce methane during digestion, a prominent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. The management of animal waste can also result in the release of methane and nitrous oxide, further exacerbating the problem. The production of feed crops requires significant resources and often involves the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, contributing to carbon emissions. Furthermore, the transportation, refrigeration, and processing of meat products consume energy and emit carbon dioxide. By recognizing these connections, reducing meat consumption or transitioning to more sustainable dietary choices, we can subtract from the 40% of greenhouse gasses that come from agriculture and deforestation.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/arti … ing%20land.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30209430/

I agree with the fact that meat has a major impact on the environment because of the amount of carbon dioxide it production from the production of agriculture.

These are all very good arguments, and are very knowledgeable. It also is a great lead to why we should stop meat production, stop harming animals, and switch to plant-based meat.

Humans are natural consumers. We find it exceedingly difficult to separate our wants from our needs, and that is leading to our downfall. According to numerous sources, a human only needs 5 basic things to survive: nutrition, water, clean air, shelter, and sleep. But is it possible to thrive with just these simplicity’s? I think the answer is up to us, a lot of the complications that humans deal with come from ourselves and other people. For example, social media is now a major contributor to mass consumerism which is a substantial issue in our world today. We are influenced to buy things that we believe will improve our quality of life, but in fact these things are just adding to our carbon footprint. The idea of mass consumerism became prevalent in the early 1920’s when individuals were encouraged to buy goods in increasing quantities. It was defined by an impulsive desire to spend money. Now, it is a vicious game in which big corporations are winning and our earth is most definitely losing. To conclude, my thought is that humans, in there early state, before mass consumerism was a thing, would have been able to live and maybe even thrive with the bare minimum. For 21st century humans, it would take an immense effort to destroy many habits, but if it means saving our climate, is it possible?

It might be hard to thrive with the bare minimum but it is definitely possible to thrive with a lot less than normal wants.

climate change is caused by many global issues, but humans are the main problem as we do not appreciate the earth when we use items that harm it. even though these materials are more convenient, they are destroying the earth as we continue to live today. One example is cars. cars use fossil fuels to operate, and these gases rise into the air and pollute the atmosphere. although cars are one of the best options to get around places, there are other ways of transportation that do not harm the earth, such as walking, biking, electric vehicles or even public transportation and carpooling so more people can get around using less gas. A car is a want because there are other options that people can use to transport. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/201 … 713722001/ and https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/s … ate-change

In the United States, cars bring a lot of change. These include adjustments to business, technology, and daily living.Cars need more restrictions but they should not be removed. Cars increased people's access to jobs, services, and personal independence.

https://www.ncpedia.org/automobile-soci … 20services.

I agree, we need to convert to public transportation/rideshares more

yeah on god this facts

Cars definitely support a lot of people in their day to day lives, so I don't think we should completely eliminate them, but people should definitely try to use busses and public transportation as much as possible if able. Corporations like Tesla should also make electric cars more accessible to everyone, so we can help support the use of electric cars versus gas powered cars.

Yes, cars can be an issue but they also help individuals on a daily basis. Rather than taking them away completely, how about encouraging people to carpool or provide individuals with a safe form of transportation? Getting rid of cars would make getting to work difficult and that would cause a downfall in the daily lives of individuals.

America is muscle-made, nobody is giving up their v6 Mustang. Honestly, if you have a v6 though it should be banned. Electric cars are a better alternative but the only company right now is Tesla and the cars are not cheap at all. There is a way to power cars through water but the government would stop that from happening, they already have.

Most people can't really afford other options than cars to get to work though. If you live outside a big city or even the suburbs there is no train or bus to transport you where you need to go plus people have to worry about getting to work on time too. So unless electric cars become more affordable and convenient or some other form of transformation is developed most people are going to be driving cars.

There is a huge difference between wanting something and needing something.I understand that from time to time, we can buy expensive things that are in trending, but which we do not necessarily need.What is very important, is that we don’t have to make a habit of this.There are people who can’t afford the bare minimum, and others who spend a lot of money on everything they see and like.Before buying something that you will most likely forget after two or three weeks, think twice.Think twice, if it’s a need or a want, because such habits produce financial and material waste!

I agree a lot with this post because differentiating between a want and a need is a crucial skill. Not just in relation to the environment, but in the interest of not creating bad money spending habits. Many people don't even have their basic needs met and in the interest of anyone financially struggling or less fortunate than yourself, donate your clothes, dont buy from fast fashion, and most importantly before making a purchase ask yourself; do I actually need this? If the answer is no, don't buy it in complete agreement with the above post, you will only be producing financial and material waste.

I appreciate your commentary and opinions but I personally don't understand how buying expensive clothes contributes to people's carbon footprints and the greenhouse effect. But I do believe that buying brand-new technology is kinda pointless for example if you have a good working iPad there is no point in buying a brand-new one because Apple just released it. I think companies are the main ones to blame for more carbon being released, they are producing these products and selling them to people like Apple comes out with. For example, Apple released about 430 million products globally in 2020. And the use of gas cars affects carbon emission a lot but I personally don't like electric cars. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, since 1970, CO2 emissions have increased by about 90% from fossil fuels and industrial processes.

Hi Diana, great post! I appreciate you bringing up needs vs wants and how it contributes to financial and material waste. This is especially a problem in the consumer-oriented market and culture in the United States. I myself am guilty of this as I become obsessed with certain hobbies, buy items pertaining to that hobby, and then let those items sit in my house once I lose interest in the hobby or activity. Some people will drive 45 minutes to a store just to buy a shirt that they will wear once for a holiday or event. I agree with you that people should think twice about their purchases and that more conscientious purchasing habits will reduce financial and material waste for individuals.

This is unfortunately a huge part of American society. Fast fashion here is high and there is little love to thrifting or giving away thing we no longer need to those who do.

I agree, I think a lot of the time people will purchase items that aren't necessarily needed. Most of the time the clothing is also made poorly and rips after a few wears.Unfortunately this is a huge issue in society right now

I think the problem, more tends to be the amount of certain trends people tend to hop onto, when it comes to clothing, with ever-changing styles, forms of expressing what you tend to like, come to mind. I believe that the circulating market for clothing is a problem, at least with the constant buying of new items, people tend to not need as much as they want. I believe people should have the ability to mostly buy whatever they want, but when it comes to such a large-scale behavior, it can have disastrous impacts on the environment, most of these side effects can be traced to the American adoption of consumerism.

Air conditioning contributes to 3.94% of carbon emissions, this means that it releases 1,950 million tons of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere annually. Most people run their air conditioning all day long even when it may not be needed. The people who most commonly do this are upper class families. This idea is supported by the fact that on the worldwide map you can see that predominantly wealthier neighborhoods have higher carbon emissions. This is because this demographic can afford to splurge and run electricity all day. This is compared to those who are more conscious to spend money and refrain from running as much electricity. If people were to consider what they need over what they want, carbon emissions would be reduced as they refrain from running air conditioning all day. People would begin to only use air conditioning when needed and work to cool their houses in other ways. If people were to use the mentality of need over want the overall carbon emission in our world would go down and air conditioning is just one example of this.

https://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2022/nr … 20humidity.

Thank you for your statement. Your statement that "Air conditioning contributes to 3.94% of carbon emissions, this means that it releases 1,950 million tons of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere annually" is an exciting statement. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), air conditioning and the cooling of buildings contribute to roughly 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with a large portion of these emissions coming from refrigerants. The IEA estimates this figure will triple by 2050 if no action is taken. Furthermore, your point that running the air conditioning all day when it may not be needed is a common practice among upper-class families is well supported by research. A study conducted by researchers at the University of California found that wealthier households in the United States tend to have larger carbon footprints than those in lower-income households, with energy consumption being a major contributing factor. This is supported by the worldwide map you mentioned, which shows that wealthier neighborhoods tend to have higher carbon emissions. In conclusion, I think that your statement is very good at highlighting the impact of air conditioning on carbon emissions and the importance of individuals actions on reducing carbon emissions.

Wants or Needs? Many people today are heavily influenced by social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, etc, as well as streaming networks such as Zeus, Netflix, and many more media platforms. Being a young girl in a world full of materialistic things, you want to buy everything that you see! But are these things necessary or are you just so consumed by social media platforms that you are not considering your negative contribution to the world?
After researching how the climate cost of fashion and the process of manufacturing these items, a research study made in 2019 tells the audience about how each step of the process  of creating fashion items that we as customers don’t even take into consideration when making these purchases that heavily affect our atmosphere in a variety of ways such as simply buying a pair of jeans. The emission of the production of cotton, to the delivery of the product to its location, comes up to around 33.4kg of carbon being released into the atmosphere. Another way that brands in the fashion department are negatively contributing to our atmosphere is by wasting 20% of water worldwide due to fabric dying and treatment.
From personal experience of frequently going shopping, I can admit that a lot of the clothes that I buy, I like and wear often, but there is also a good amount of clothes that I've purchased over the years that I've either thrown away or donated. As well as small items used to decorate my home or small items like slime and hairclips. I am not here to say that I think people should not buy themselves new items but since so many people in the world are so influenced by social media to buy the cool things that we see online, it is easy to forget how we are affecting our Earth. Some practical ways that customers can still buy items when shopping while not contributing as much carbon into the atmosphere are by using coupons, signing up for mailing lists to be alerted when new deals and sales are going on, shopping at store outlets instead of regular malls because store outlets sell brand new quality items for prices that become lower and lower every day and bargain! Recycling old garments and repairing old clothes. Lastly, the next time you are out shopping you can simply ask yourself if the items you are purchasing are worth affecting the amount of carbon going into the atmosphere and if this item is something that you really need and will be able to keep for years.

Source: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/featu … o-ambiente

Meat consumption is a big issue because it harms the environment, our health, and animals. People are eating more meat, which leads to problems like deforestation, pollution, and climate change. Too much meat can also make us sick with heart disease and obesity. It's important to think about eating less meat and choosing more sustainable options for a healthier planet and ourselves.

Phones and computers are very important, but at what point does it become a want and not a need? Phones are very useful in today's generation, but we only keep them a fraction of their full lives. The average American uses their phone for approximately two and a half years. However, smartphones have an average life of four to ten years. Every phone uses 80 kg (176.37 lbs) of carbon to make. So why do we need a new phone every two and a half years if it lasts for at least four years and could even live up to ten years? At that point, it becomes a want over a need. That is what we need to change. Technology is one of the biggest industries in the world today. If we can limit the making and selling of new phones, we could potentially lower our carbon footprint by a significant amount over time. Just this simple change in lifestyle can possibly limit climate change and give us more time to make more significant changes and altogether stop different problems like glaciers falling and animals going extinct.

Links:
https://8billiontrees.com/carbon-offset … 0processes.
https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/average … #section-1
https://www.refurb.me/blog/how-long-doe … ment-cycle

Climate change is a dire consequence of human behavior that demands immediate attention. It is high time we recognize the impact of our wants and needs on the environment. We must acknowledge that our consumption patterns play a significant role in contributing to the problem. By prioritizing our needs over our wants, we can reduce our carbon footprint and minimize the damage caused to our planet. It is our responsibility to make conscious choices that benefit the environment and secure a sustainable future for ourselves and generations to come.

I think you need to balance the number of things you want.

I think that your think wrong

I strongly agree with user Mihai-26 and how important it is to know your needs and wants and how you can put aside your wants. We as human beings need to be conscious about the consumption of our wants and to know when it comes to buying unnecessary items. The manufacture of these wants is a huge problem in today's society. This is why we to start giving this topic more attention and changing up our lifestyles.

https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/w … rticle.pdf

I agree with Mihai-26 when they say prioritizing needs over wants will reduce carbon footprint. It is a well-known fact that even if you get something delivered, you still contribute to the CO2 that was emitted when it was made and shipped to you, those emissions are called indirect emissions. The more stuff we buy, the more indirect emissions are produced, if we simply buy less of what we want and instead prioritize what we need, we can cut down our indirect emissions and carbon footprint. This may not seem like much of an incentive to buy fewer things you want but if everybody does their part, it will add up and make a positive, lasting change on the earth. https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/w … rticle.pdf

I completely agree with Mihai-26 and how important it is to realize how much humans have impacted the environment. I think Mihai talking about prioritizing needs over wants is extremely important. If humans only use 1 pair of shoes, passed down clothing from siblings, carpool, bike, and turn off lights we could contribute to trying to stop global warming. Humans need to start taking action as soon as they can because global warming is having extreme spikes in Co2. Some evidence of this is in the website the Keeling curve, they show a graph that shows a spike in Co2 emissions in

2020.https://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/

I completely agree with Mihai-26 and how important it is to realize how much humans have impacted the environment. I think Mihai talking about prioritizing needs over wants is extremely important. If humans only use 1 pair of shoes, passed down clothing from siblings, carpool, bike, and turn off lights we could contribute to trying to stop global warming. Humans need to start taking action as soon as they can because global warming is having extreme spikes in Co2. Some evidence of this is in the website the Keeling curve, they show a graph that shows a spike in Co2 emissions in 2020.

2020.https://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/

Many things we own were bought just because we felt compelled by what we saw on the internet. In reality, many of the recommended items, especially in the case of clothes, ended up in the closet, worn once or twice or never at all. Most people prefer cheap clothes, whose price is also reflected in the quality of the product. In order to stop overbuying and to stop being fooled by all the recommendations found on social media, people should understand that a more expensive product, but with a better material, is more useful and lasts longer than one from a fast fashion clothing online store. A simple and cheaper way is to buy clothes from thrifting stores. By choosing to buy secondhand clothing instead of brand new, you reduce waste and help the planet. Also you can buy quality clothes at a right price.

I agree with you that you should buy better quality clothes than the ones that are in trend. I think it's much better to buy quality clothes than some branded ones. It's also a great idea to buy used clothes, and it's an even better idea to donate your clothes that you don't use because it reduces waste and thus helps the Earth and people.

I agree with your argument about prioritizing your needs over wants. When researching the topic on how much the clothing industry (+transportation) contributes to carbon emissions the results where shocking. The process of making clothing also takes away some of the Earths most important recourses. For example it takes thousands of liters of water to make a pair of jeans. Limiting your spending of clothing can help with carbon emissions as well as helping to save water. It can be very hard to limit the amount of clothing you buy, because shopping can be really fun, and having more clothing means more options for outfits. The problem with this is how it effects the release of Greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Not only does making clothing release emissions but the transportations causes significant damage. To transport all the new clothing made it releases to much carbon emissions which is very harmful for our atmosphere. There is also the fact that fashion brands come out with new and trendy clothing every week, and this prompts individuals to buy them. This is harmful because the more clothing people buy the more they throw out, and most of it is not donated and end up in a landfill. TO help prevent this people can shop and thrift stores and second hand stores because not only is it much cheaper but it also is good quality. You can also donate all the clothing you don't need or wear, and this will help because others will avoid going to the big fashion chains and spending more money.

This is the source I used for my research: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/featu … o-ambiente

I agree with your argument about buying clothing items that you need, rather than the items you want. In today's society, we are fixated on buying clothes that are "next in the trends". Often times even I find myself buying clothes that are "trendy" rather than buying clothes that I need more of. Now more than ever, social media has taken a toll on how much input we get from other people. This has caused us to buy an absurd amount of items that we don't need, just because we can, and then throw them out when they are no longer in style. Fast Fashion companies like Shein, ZARA, Forever 21, GAP, etc, are all a part of the problem. Not only do these companies require an intense amount of labor, but they have a huge impact on Carbon Emissions. Carbon emissions affect our atmosphere in so many ways, causing our Earth to heat up more than it should. For example, many animals in the Arctic are going extinct, and we are getting harsher summers with shorter winters yearly. To prevent this issue from getting worse, I would recommend buying clothes that are better quality and have less of an impact on carbon emissions. These clothes might cost more, but in the long run, they will last longer. I would also recommend shopping at thrift stores where you can get second-hand clothing, that is still good quality, at affordable prices.

Source: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/featu … o-ambiente

I agree with the argument about buying only items that you need, not ones you want. In our society today there is a emphasis on cheap, fast fashion. This upwards trend in unsustainable fashion will cause a spike in carbon emissions. A large amount of our carbon emissions come from purchases, which cause our Earth to heat up much more than it naturally should. For example, to acquire new clothing it has to be made, processed and shipped to you or the store you buy from. All of these steps emit massive amounts of greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere. The fashion industry is harmful to the Earth in other ways as well. For example, the industry uses 93 billion cubic meters of water, which is enough to meet the needs of 5 million people.  A lasting solution to this issue of fast fashion would be to buy from quality stores which sell long-lasting clothes, or even better, buy from second-hand stores and thrift stores. It can be tempting to purchase new clothes often if you have the money to because more clothes means more options, but you can still get good quality clothing from thrifting. Oftentimes, it is cheaper to thrift as well. In the article I read it stated that people with higher incomes tend to purchase more and have a larger carbon footprint overall. This is because they may not need to save as much money on things such as clothing or transportation. These people will probably buy more clothes more often, causing them to contribute more to climate change. Therefore, the fashion industry is very harmful to our planet and we should do our best to purchase sustainable items to help combat this issue.

Research sites: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/w … rticle.pdf  and https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/featu … o-ambiente

I totally agree. The way we think about our clothing needs versus wants has a big impact on global warming. Clothes are something we all need to stay covered and comfortable, but the problem arises when our desire for the latest fashion trends and constant shopping leads to unnecessary and disposable clothing. This "fast fashion" culture is bad for the environment. It means more factories and energy use, which leads to more greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, all the transportation involved in shipping clothes around the world adds to the carbon footprint. And when we throw away unwanted clothes, they end up in landfills and produce methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. I think we can make a difference by taking a more sustainable approach to clothing and challenging ourselves and others to purchase less, especially when we don't need it. This can involve choosing quality garments that last longer, supporting ethical and eco-friendly brands, embracing second-hand shopping, and recycling or donating our unwanted clothing. By making these conscious choices, we can contribute to mitigating the fashion industry's environmental impact and help combat global warming. Here is a link I found with some facts about fast fashion and the damage the industry causes: https://goodonyou.eco/fast-fashion-facts/

I agree with this because with that amount of waist that clothes and fast fashion cause, it is much better to get a good quality piece of clothing and wear it for a long time than wear something only once thats cheap and have it end up in the trash where it'll eventually end up polluting the environment. According to my sources, each person causes over 100 pounds of textile waiste to pollute the environment every year. I greatly believe that fast fashion needs to end and our society as a whole should become more aware of how many clothes we are waisting.

Research sites: https://www.bu.edu/sph/news/articles/20 … vironment/

https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/s … st-fashion

Clothes are a necessity of human rights. However, you never need more clothes than you already have. Living in a society where shopping is regular and buying new clothes is an activity, it feels necessary when you want to follow the trend. Before getting to the factory that admits greenhouse gasses, take this back to the cotton plants the material is actually grown from. These plants require 2,700 liters of water, which a human drinks in two and a half years. This is very damaging to our environment, especially when the clothes are not for a "need" cause. Fast Fashion is very popular in our society however due to the impact on our environment makes the 2,700 liters of water worth no purpose. An Alternate option would be to buy from second hand stores, thrift, and donate your clothes. Work Cited: https://www.wri.org/insights/apparel-in … 6-graphics

I agree that it is an important to individually contribute to lowering your carbon footprint. Consuming less is a good way to do that because it lessens the demand for certain goods like clothes and also helps cut the amount of textile waste from either going into landfill and destroying natural habitats or getting burnt and contributing to air pollution. Ten percent of carbon emissions come from clothing landfills. Most of this also happens in foreign countries destroying the natural habitat and the air in these countries. A good example of this is Chile. Chile's clothing landfill, located in The Atacama desert, receives around 60,000 tons of clothing annually. This number is rising due to the expansion of fast fashion. These cheaper clothing are almost always made with polyester due to the fact that it is cheaper and longer lasting. This means that it can take up to two hundred years for a polyester garment to decompose. One way we can reduce the textiles shipped to landfills is to buy good quality clothing that you can keep for a long time. Buying cotton instead of polyester is good because it decomposes faster. Buying and donating to thrift stores is an affordable way to consume sustainable fashion and give it a second life.

Sources I used:https:

//www.bu.edu/sph/news/articles/2022/the-aftermath-of-fast-fashion-how-discarded-clothes-impact-public-health-and-the-environment/#:~:text=Once%20textiles%20are%20discarded%2C%2066,others%20over%20hundreds%20of%20years.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/envi … 3820853070

https://nypost.com/2021/11/09/chilean-d … -clothing/

I agree that many items are bought because they are displayed in a way that makes us want to purchase it. Also, like you mentioned when you buy better quality clothing it lasts for a longer time which can lower ones carbon footprint. As stated in the article "More stuff = more climate change" more stuff = higher carbon footprint. This means everything someone buys increases their carbon footprint so the more they buy the higher their footprint will be.

Clothing is a massive industry in the U.S., grossing over half a trillion dollars in 2022. Big oil drilling companies and the burning of fossil fuels typically come to mind when thinking of climate change, but rarely is the impact of the clothing industry, specifically fast fashion, discussed. 1.92 million metric tons of textile waste are produced each year in the industry, that’s out of 100 billion produced annually. In addition, the production emits 1.2 billion metric tons of green gas each year. I found it really interesting to learn that even though oil is the most polluting industry in the world, fashion is the second. This is because of the rapid demand for the newest clothes, and trends that continue to change every few months. This demand is why companies like SHEIN, who rely on barely paid labor to make clothes, are producing so much waste. A new trend comes in, people want to stay on trend and purchase the clothing, and the next trend comes in and the old one is “out”. When those clothes aren’t worn, they are donated to a thrift store or just thrown out. No matter where they go, about two-thirds of unworn clothing eventually ends up in a landfill. Shopping at thrift stores and trying to buy clothes that would otherwise go to landfill is a great way to limit your carbon footprint in purchases. This constant question of want or need is important because while it’s important to express yourself and feel comfortable in your clothing, there’s a better way for our planet. The reason this cycle continues all comes down to the want of clothing, the desire to have new clothes. We need clothes, but sometimes it’s better to buy a sweatshirt from a thrift store or secondhand than buy it from a fast fashion company. In addition, purchasing clothing from smaller businesses that are more ethical and typically better for the environment as they are not mass produced.
Sources:
https://www.geneco.uk.com/news/fast-fas … s%20sector.

https://www.greenamerica.org/unraveling … ed-clothes

https://earth.org/statistics-about-fast-fashion-waste/

People spend money every day. Gen Z spends an average of $92.13 daily on education, groceries, eating out, cellphone service, etc. Do we need to spend all this money a day? Well, not really. Most people spend around 120 dollars on clothes per month, 438 dollars on food, and 150 dollars on gas, which is unnecessary. The reason people spend so much on clothes and other unnecessary things is because of the Diderot Effect. Once a person buys one thing, they want to keep buying more. Since we live in a capitalist society, buying unnecessary things is so normalized and even advertised. The society we live in today is run on the Diderot Effect and products are marketed to make us happy, which makes us spend more on useless things. People also spend so much money on food at grocery stores and on gas. Buying prepackaged food from the grocery store is actually more expensive than buying fresh food by the pound and making it yourself. Also, it is shown that electric cars are thousands of dollars cheaper than owning a gas-run car. Since we spend so much on a daily average, the CO₂ we release from the gas we use to drive our cars down to the food we buy and eat contributes to the CO2 rising in our atmosphere. Humans are carbon sources and since the industrial revolution, we've depended on burning fossil fuels to make our clothes and transportation. The ways we can lower the amount of CO2 in our atmosphere are not as complicated as people think. The easiest thing we can do to lower our carbon footprint is to buy fewer clothes or thrift more of our clothes. Investing in good quality clothes that will last a year or two, or thrifting all of your clothes means less fossil fuels are burned to make new, cheap, and bad quality clothes. Another thing we can do is grow and buy fresh and locally grown/made food. It's cheaper and better for the environment because no plastic is being made to package the food, also, if you grow your own food it's so satisfying being able to see your plants grow and thrive! One last simple thing we can do to reduce our carbon footprint is to take public transportation and/or upgrade to electric cars. Taking public transportation reduces the CO2 being released because there are multiple people riding the same vehicle. Also, many buses are now using green energy which is even better for the environment. If you need to drive around a lot then it could be a good investment to upgrade your car to an electric car. This saves our daily gas money and helps the environment as well. Implementing these simple things into our daily lives can help reduce our daily spending and help lower our CO2 emissions.

https://nextbigideaclub.com/magazine/ja … 0fulfilled.
https://www.sunmark.org/connect/sunmark … ou-measure
https://www.valuepenguin.com/average-ho … per%20year.
https://buyturmerix.com/blogs/education … kaged-food
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/electric-v … r-drive-ev

When thinking about hurting the Earth it tends to come to the mind that it's only carbon emissions from cars, drilling oil, and polluting the oceans are the only things that hurt the Earth. But no according to my research I found that fast fashion was one of the biggest polluters in the world next to oil. Fast fashion contributes a total of 10% of total global carbon emissions. When it comes to keeping up with the newest clothing trends is it really necessary to buy every piece of clothing that fits the trend currently in play. In a few weeks that trend would be forgotten and you won’t use that ever again because clothing trends barely come back into trend. Next time you see a piece of clothing that is in trend, know that globally we consume around 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year. Also note that we send 85% of the textiles we buy in the landfill annually. In the article it states, “We buy it, wear it once or twice, get sick of it—or realize it’s gone out of fashion—and bin it only to begin the cycle all over again.” With this mindset the resources on Earth will exponentially decrease till the point where there are not any more resources at all to give you those clothing that are in the current trend. A way that you can reduce the amount of textiles that go into the landfill, next time you can either donate it for others in need that need some sort of clothing to stay warm or hand it down to a sibling or friend. In conclusion, when going out to the mall next time try to resist buying that new shirt that looks cool at the moment, if you do this you can actually help save the environment and mother Earth.

Website:  https://sustainability.uq.edu.au/projec … ntal-havoc

Are household items a want or a need? When looking at the amount of carbon produced in the air, a majority of it comes from buying and consuming household items. After researching the consumption of products humans buy, I found that in a 2015 study, the use of household goods were responsible for 60% of global greenhouse emissions. Also, studies show that the richest one percent of the population produces twice as much carbon as the poorest fifty percent. The wealthier people are, the more carbon they expel into the air, resulting in a typical American's carbon emissions being five times as the world's average person. So next time you want to buy an unnecessary household item, remember your carbon footprint.

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/ … look-good/

Are certain clothing brands and designer items wants or needs? After looking at the different categories of things that make up your carbon footprint, a big part of the total carbon emissions came from clothes and fashion-related items. After doing research I found that clothes and fashion take up 10% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions (Wallen, 2022). This amount is catastrophic. Because clothes and extra accessories are not necessities it is important to find ways to cut down to help our planet. Some of the reasons why the footprint for fashion is so big is because of some of the textiles used, water, and unethical companies. Textiles are used to make clothing and other accessories. These textiles take up 79 billion cubic meters of water that were used for cotton growth and dying fabrics. Through this dying process, more than 15% of the world's wastewater comes from this type of fabric dying and other clothing production. Another way that carbon is emitted into the air through fashion is through fast fashion. Fast fashion is brands that mass produce trends and popular clothes in unethical ways and sell them at a cheap price to encourage people to buy more. This causes the consumption of clothes to be bigger since the price is lower causing people to not feel like they spent a lot of money and a large amount of clothing. These fast fashion brands are bad for the environment because they use cheaper textiles which take up many thousands of liters of water. These cheap materials cause the quality to go down causing people to throw it away faster and end up consuming more because of the limited amount of wear. After looking at these statistics I have realized that clothing and accessories are less of necessities and more of things people want. There are many ways to cut down on clothing consumption and more ethically make clothes. Some ways that we can do this is by selling clothes, donating, or giving them to friends and family. This could be beneficial because one can take clothes they no longer wear or like and give them to someone in need. Another way people can cut down on the amount of clothing consumption is through thrifting. Thrifting is buying second-hand clothing or lightly worn clothes. This recycles clothes for people in need or people to want new clothes without buying them brand new. In conclusion, it is important to take action on ways to limit our clothing consumption and help reduce water to save our planet.

https://acespace.org/2022/06/17/fast-fashion-101/

Wanting something is very distinguishable from needing something. For example, you need water to live, but you may want to have soda or some juice. This problem is huge in the technology industry as many people crave into their want for new technology and end up buying it. The average person buys a new phone around the two-year mark, while most phones can last from three to five years. Another great example of this is buying new clothing instead of reusing old clothes that still fit. These cravings make it so that the textile industry makes up for 10% of the greenhouse gas emissions, totaling above all of the international flights and maritime shipping combined. So next time you think about buying something it might be good to ask yourself if you truly need it.
If you would like to read more: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/ … nfographic

Wanting something is very distinguishable from needing something. For example, you need water to live, but you may want to have soda or some juice. This problem is huge in the technology industry as many people crave into their want for new technology and end up buying it. The average person buys a new phone around the two-year mark, while most phones can last from three to five years. Another great example of this is buying new clothing instead of reusing old clothes that still fit. These cravings make it so that the textile industry makes up for 10% of the greenhouse gas emissions, totaling above all of the international flights and martime shipping combined. So next time you think about buying something it might be good to ask yourself if you truly need it.
if you would like to read more : https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/ … nfographic

Every 1,000 liters of water used by humans, emits around 10.6kg of carbon dioxide into the air. This makes us think about how much water we really need vs how much we just want. For example, when we take showers, do we need the water on while we wash our hair? The correct answer is NO. Furthermore, while doing the dishes, think about how much water you are using, and how much you could be saving. When it comes to cleaning, water is a very important resource, but the more water we use, the more our carbon footprint increases. Over 25% of the water used for large buildings/office complexes goes to waste. It is easy to think that the way we are living our everyday lives is correct because it is what we are used to, but it is important to know change must happen. Climate change is an issue that will probably never disappear within your lifetime, but that does not mean that you should not take your own steps to shrink your carbon footprint.

https://wint.ai/blog/the-carbon-footpri … 20deserves.

The wealthiest of people can afford the best. Whether it's expensive steak (red meat), constant travel (flights), or large houses (AC/Heat/Lights), these rich normals are some of the biggest contributers to our global CO2 emissions. According to the Guardian, "In 2010, the most affluent 10% of households emitted 34% of global CO2, while the 50% of the global population in lower income brackets accounted for just 15%. By 2015, the richest 10% were responsible for 49% of emissions against 7% produced by the poorest half of the world’s population." But it's understandable, access to more means more releases. Now how can we counter it? Well it can't be the same as taxes, everyone cutting down the same percent just wouldn't work. Rather, we can find more "expensive" earth friendly options. For example, instead of driving your expensive Mercedes, maybe we invest in a Tesla or other electric powered vehicle. Or instead of going for the red meats, we find alternatives. But cutting down doesn't mean never having, it just means that the constant flights and heat in our lives are leading to an extreme downfall of our Earth.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment … ding-study

The rise of environmental problems is rooted with the structure of social problems. According to The London School of economics and political science (2017), rich household make up 12 metric tons of CO2 a year on just driving cars, which is about 8 month for an entire lower income family household. It is estimate that one dollar spent on gasoline creates 3.7 kilograms of carbon dioxide, lower income families have less money to spend of gasoline unlike richer families. The highest in come homes spent 3300 dollars on gas producing 12 metric tons while lower income families only produced 3.6 total. This statistic is also true as in 2009 the 10% of higher income families produced three times as much CO2 as the 10% lowest income families. This doesn't fully mean that higher income families contribute the most to global warming, even though the more financially stable produce more household carbon, lower income families invest and use up carbon services. 7% of lower income goes toward utilities contributing to the over all foot print by 42%, while 4% of richer families income go toward utilities, contributing to 42% of the carbon foot print. In concludes, the article published by The London School of Economics and Political Science, explains that higher income families are responsible for producing more Carbon admissions, but lower income families are more restricted to not be able to change.
https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute … -8-months/

The connection between income and carbon emissions are very linked. according to iea.org the top 1% of the world are 1000 times the impact of lower class people. having a higher income usually makes your carbon footprint go exponentially higher. the top 10% of people were responsible for over half of all of the carbon emissions recorded last year. I think it can be caused because people with a higher income have more opportunity to have a larger carbon footprint because they can afford the amenities that create emissions https://www.iea.org/commentaries/the-wo … e-bottom-1

I agree with you, Carbon emissions are indeed connected with income,Like on scientific America, the top percent of people by income produce over 73 tons of carbon dioxide per person annually and in Asia and Europe the top earners exert 29-39 tons of carbon dioxide. Also the bottom 50 percent of North Americans emit 10 tons per person annually and In Europe and East Asia, the same category of earners release 5 tons and 3 tons, respectively. I think the wealthier they are the bigger there footprint will be because they spend more and travel more.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/arti … hy-people/

Many people are concerned about climate change, but it is unclear if the majority of people will be willing to give up small luxuries like driving in personal cars instead of using public transportation for the sake of the climate. In a study conducted across 17 advanced economies, a median of 34% will willing to make "a lot of changes" to their daily lives to fight climate change. There is also interesting disparity across the United States of who is willing to give up non crucial wants. 94% of US citizens who identified as part of the 'left' said they would be willing to make "a lot of/some" changes to their lifestyles, while only 45% of US citizens who identified as on the 'right' were willing to make these changes. However, many people are willing to make 'at least some' changes to their lifestyles, with a median of 80% across all those surveyed. 
https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2021 … -and-work/

There are so many things humans want, including me. I would like to go shopping, get a new phone, buy some makeup, maybe even a new blanket but really, I have no need for all these things, I have a phone, I have clothes, I have makeup, and I have tons of blankets, and really all these things are doing are using fossil fuels in factories for them to be mad. 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.

Wasting money buying phones every year just to be trendy is awful. I think we should learn how to save the money we get from different sources because we are teenagers so we don't earn that money. It's hard not to go with trends as a teenager because if you don't go with them you'll be considered boring. The new generations should be taught how to manage money and how to be liked for their character, not for the things they have on them or what kind of phones they have.
The prices of brand new products are very high, that's why teenagers think that if you have one product that is very expensive they are cool and should stay around them. Even if it's not necessary to buy all those expensive things, people will buy them for approval from others.

Also many of these products consume many resources of the earth

I completely agree with all your words. Teenagers are wasting so much money on trending things like some types of clothes or some technology. We teenergers don't even earn that money but we are wasting our parents hours of works. Also, so much money is spent on the production of all these really unnecessary things, at the same time polluting the environment, and that money can be used for something much more necessary.

I agree, I think our society became to material these days, not only do teenager spend too much money on things that are not necessary in life, but they also don't realize how much work is needed to make one piece of clothing. The fact is that most of the clothes industries have big factories in countries that uses people which need money to feed their families and doesn't assure they are paid enough for their hard work. Also, the carbon pollution those big industries are causing is terrible. So as solution I would say that we need to buy more clothes in second hand shops or at least reduce the number of pieces of new clothing we are buying in a year.

(note: my username should be PrithikaChatterjee so please ignore whatever comes as my username!)

Wants and needs have always been more or less distinguishable from each other. Needs are something that are very necessary and should be included in our lives. This includes food, water, and shelter. Without food and water, we won't be able to survive with the lack of energy. Plus, even if we do have food and water, what will protect us from the forces of nature? That's why we need shelters.

On the other hand, wants are something that are evident in our lives, yet we don't need them as much as needs. Some may argue that the internet, for example, is something very necessary to be in our lives. However, if we are in a situation where we have to choose between food and our electronic devices, surely we will choose food. And this isn't something only I would do. If we were starving, we'd go for saving our lives first. We could get a new device later on, but if we lose our lives from starvation? Well, we'd never get them back.

It's important to be able to tell the differences between wants and needs, since this becomes a big part of our lives later on in the future. Making the right choices, using as little resources as we can to save them, all adds up to needs vs wants. In conclusion, we should all be aware and be able to tell the differences between needs and wants. Thanks for making it to the end!

I agree with you that needs are necessary in our life and we couldn't survive without them. You also provided a good example whether we would choose food over a new electronic device. I believe everyone would answer with food. People used to live without electronic devices and many other things we today find very normal and couldn't imagine our life without them. Those things are called wants. But I think everyone should have their wants and especially needs but just be rational with their wants because it affects the environment. I think it's okay for people to get something considered as wants but always be rational because of the lack of resources on the Earth.

Hi, my name is Jaden and I like to travel.

this is my carbon footprint

You:    Your region:
Home:    1,757 kgs    2,194 kgs
Food:    3,533 kgs    2,869 kgs
Purchases:    131 kgs    791 kgs
Transportation:    9,528 kgs    2,128 kgs

I usually travel 5 times a year, I try to save as many things as I can.

I think that everyone should use biodegradable things and reusable bags.
this way the earth can be saved easier.

By now you may know that the world is slowly deteriorating. Mother Earth may not be able to support us for longer.

This is my result

    You:    Your region:
Home:    537 kgs      2,194 kgs
Food:    2,443 kgs    2,869 kgs
Purchases: 125 kgs     791 kgs
Transportation:    48,471 kgs    2,128 kgs

Although I don't spend a lot on food and purchases. The kgs on my transport are horrible. It's way too high and I travel too much. although this is not up to me to decide, i still try my best to limit my spending. Although we want many things, we need to limit ourselves from things. By using biodegradable items and reusable bags, we can save the earth slowly. Start using solar-energy today and save the earth one by one.

I recommend
-use solar energy
-recycle
-use reusable stuff (bags, chairs, toothbrushes, etc...)
-use biodegradable products.

#biodegradation
#recycle
#reduce
#reuse

Having the latest technology is typically considered a want rather than a need. While technology can certainly make our lives easier and more efficient, many of the latest models are often designed with features that are not necessary for basic use. In other words, while it may be nice to have the latest smartphone or MP3 player, it is not essential for survival or meeting basic needs.

The frequency at which someone gets a new cell phone or MP3 player can vary depending on the individual. Some people may choose to upgrade their devices every year, while others may use their devices for several years before replacing them. It is important to consider whether a new model is truly necessary before making a purchase.

The use of smartphones is on the rise and the number of them sold continues to increase every year. People use smartphones for various reasons and many of these uses have a negative impact on people.
Firstly, smartphones can cause addiction in people. More than 90% of the population are using smartphones daily. Spending too much time on your cell phone becomes a big problem when you start  neglecting your work, hobbies, and relationships. Phone addiction may cause poor grades, anxiety, loss of sleep, and even loneliness or depression. (Robb, 2023) reports that “teens and tweens spend more than seven hours on their phones each day.”
Secondly, smartphones negatively impact people’s health: spending too much time looking at your phone may cause neck and brain problems, and disrupt sleep patterns. Smartphones can send harmful radiation to your brain due to the emission of blue light, so people may have headaches regularly. Research published in Cogent Psychology (Reno, 2021) shows that people who are constantly looking at their phones are likely to be depressed while people who are not scrolling on their phones are likely to be happier.
Thirdly, smartphones can decrease concentration levels. Scrolling through your phones or watching videos can affect our concentration levels. Smart phones distract teens and even adults from their own studies or work. Low concentration causes people to perform poorly on their academics because they overuse their phones or devices.  Students can easily be distracted by messages or notifications. Smart phones or any gadget can decrease our attention span according to (TechTarget, 2018) , “Using your phones in between important tasks may decrease your ability to focus.” This has shown us it is best to not scroll or look at your phone while driving, riding a bike, or even in class time.
Even though that having the latest technology is bad for your mental help it also technology have been very useful in the progress of modern society. They help spread information to people easily and have changed the way people think about the world. In many poor countries, they have helped in lifting people out of poverty by providing business opportunities to many people. Smartphones can be useful tools if they are used in the right way. The problem is not about the latest technology,but the behavior and habits of people when they use smartphones. People have to learn to use this very useful device in a way that they can put it to good use instead of turning it into a problem. Technology have negative impacts on both children and adults. Technology addiction, health issues, and concentration levels have caused a huge problem in the world.

I belive that spending money on expensive clothes is often unnecessary and wasteful. The fashion industry encourages us to constantly update our wardrobes with the latest trends, leading to overconsumption and environmental harm. In addition, the production of high-end fashion often involves unethical labor practices, including low wages and poor working conditions for workers in developing countries. Instead of investing in expensive clothes, we can prioritize sustainable and ethical consumption by choosing high-quality, durable clothing made from sustainable materials and produced under fair labor conditions. By consuming less and choosing products that are mindful of the environment and people, we can make a positive impact on the world around us.

In the last few years, the industry has grown rapidly and so has its impact on the environment. Manufacturers and sellers covertly create great pressure on human society, which therefore has an increasing desire to buy things, especially among uninformed individuals or groups of people. I don't think that just buying expensive clothes is a big problem. Fast fashion makes even bigger problems, it's an industry that has one of the biggest impacts on the environment. Huge quantities of poor-quality clothes are produced which wear out quickly. We should pay more attention to second-hand stores. Recycling old clothes would be very useful, especially if these clothes were sold more often in big stores.

I find your post relatively relateable. However, the companies that produce expensive clothing have thousands of workers such as designers, managers and many others not including the production workers that are undeniably underpaid. If everyone stopped buying their type of products, it could lead to financial crisis and millions of people losing their job. Therefore, the companies have to make some type of profit to be able to pay the workers (some more than others) and to make the company bigger, better, more recognisable, wealthier etc. That is the reason clothes are way more expensive than the materials they are produced of. Hopefully the companies realise the polution in the world and dicide to make a change in the choice of materials, production... Of course I agree that the payment should be somewhat similar for all workers of the fashion industry.

Many people enjoy spending money on more luxurious items such as clothing. I believe these people help our economy by spending money on these "over-priced" items.

I completely agree as expensive clothes produce a lot of carbon emission from transportation. In addition, they are produced in factories and the companies exploit child labor. Some clothes are not very expensive but they don't produce a lot of carbon emission.

If someone from the 18th century saw what technology we use in daily life, they would be absolutely baffled. They would wonder why we stare at portals to another world all the time, have music played privately in the middle of the street straight into our ears and why we amuse ourselves more indoors than outdoors. This goes to show just how accustomed much of the world is to being constantly surrounded by technology when in all truth, we only need a few pieces of modern technology. We do not need a direct link to the internet, music, movies, calculators and more in our pockets; we DO need some massive servers that contain secret government info and research because otherwise the info would be recorded by hand, stored by hand and easily stolen. Finally, we really don't need video games; sorry to all gamers, but we really don't. Head outside, and smell the fresh smell of grass or something; it's unhealthy for our bodies and mind to sit inside, staring mesmerized at a screen for hours at a time. To conclude, while a lot of technology is EXTREMELY important for the function of a country as a whole, much of the tech we see day-to-day is unnecessary, distracting and damaging.

I agree with you.

There is a very big difference between wants and needs. This can be used in various situations. For example, we need food to survive, but sometimes we want sugar food or ice cream that is not mandatory for us to survive, but something to fulfill our wants. This can also be with clothes. We need to wear clothes, but we want the new dress that is now trending even though we have 4 other dresses that are nice and in perfect condition. There are things in life we need to survive and live, and then there are just things we want to have for the sake of our own wants.

My carbon footprint was worth 4,246 kgs, below the average of 4,570 kgs, mostly because i really don t use public transportation at all. I live in a small town and I decided that it is useless to use the car or the bus to transport myself from one point of the city to another. Every time you go for a drive, pollution is emitted directly into the air which causes significant risks for your health, especially for people who live near busy roads, and for the environment. You see it every time that smoke billows from your car's exhaust pipe, and from all the different forms of transportation we rely on to get around and to move goods around the planet — vehicles are a major contributor to air pollution. Cars emit carbon monoxide when fuel is burned. Breathing air with a high concentration of CO affects critical organs like your heart and brain. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, as much as 95 percent of all CO emissions in cities may come from motor vehicle exhaust. Do we really need so many cars in our contry? can't we find a healthier alternative to move?

In my opinion, having the latest technology is not a must. Of course, having a phone is a necessity, but buying the latest version every year costs money, but it also affects the environment: when a phone is manufactured, it contributes to carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
It's difficult to realize if when we want to buy a new phone is a want or a need, that's why I consider that we should think twice before whether we really need a new phone or if we just want to be trendy.

For many people in the world, food waste has become a habit: buying  more food than needed, taking bigger portions than we can eat, these are habits that damage our resources and our enviroment. When we waste food, we waste  effort  and  precious resources that go into producing it, therefore, the gas emission increases and contributes to climate change.
    In fact, tonnes of edible food are wasted worldwide, everyday.
    I think there are things we can do to improve our relationship with food such as:
adopting a healthier lifestyle  and buying  only what you need.
     In the end, if we make an effort together we will overcome any obstacle that comes our way!

My carbon footprint was worth 4,198 kgs, below the average of 4,570 kgs, mostly reduced to excessive shopping, food and activities at home, but I won in the transport chapter, I don't use the car, the bus, the train or the plane to go to school or around town every day. The car is a necessity and we Romanians depend on the car a lot, but do you think that if we gave up the car and walked, as I do, do you think we would have a smaller carbon footprint? ... I say yes! From certain scientific resources, it was found that gasoline or diesel cars eliminate a lot of CO2 and many other substances, which is very harmful for the surrounding air.These cars produce 95g/km CO2. It is normal this thing? Personally, I would propose a limited time for driving or only for emergencies, because in these conditions our life will be more and more difficult! And now my question is the car is a need or a necessity?

I often make the mistake to buy something which I just wanted and after it i don't know what to do with that thing.In my opinion,most of the people make same mistake.But the question is how this affects the environment?Well,the fact that we use to buy everything,even if we neet it or not,encourages the producers to make more products and also more resources of the earth will be consumed in excess.For example,do you know that for one T-shirt 2706 liters of water will be consumed?In my point of view,that's horrible!

Your points are valid, and many people of all ages can relate to them. In the same time, the textile industry is an important source of plastic leakage into the environment, which directly affects millions of human's livelihoods and the ecosystems in a tremendous way. That's why we must take careful decisions and not go on impulsive shopping sprees.

Most of the time, people fail to make the difference between desire and need...I admit that sometimes it's quite difficult for me to realize if I really need a certain thing, or if it's just a fad. The more things we buy or keep that we don't really need, the more we burden our planet. Therefore, I think we should think twice or thrice before buying something, whether it is a necessity or a fad.

“Want or need?” Anytime I go clothing shopping, whether online or in person, that question crosses my mind. As a teenager, it’s hard not to follow what’s trending… and trust me trends come and go very quickly. This brings up the topic of fast fashion, which is just what it sounds like. Often many teens find themselves buying from a fast fashion business just due to the fact of how cheap it is. Although, if your concerns when it comes to clothing shopping relate to price, used clothing is a great alternative. Used clothing is not only cheap, but very sustainable. Although at the time you may really want something, you may only wear it one time and then toss it out and move on to the next trend.

I completely agree with your statement. As teenagers we can see things while shopping, looking online, from commercials, etc. We have to  find the line between buying something because we want it, because it looks cool, or it’s super fun. We can ask ourselves “do I need this?”, because we could reduce emissions by not spending money on clothes or electronics that we don’t need.

I wholeheartedly agree. The media has made us believe that the newest and most expensive clothes are the most fashionable and “coolest”. We should begin to ask ourselves when we make purchases wether our not you in five years would think that this purchase is necessary, or even if you will still have it. By buying timeless pieces of clothing we can cut down on our carbon footprint and our wallets.

i 100% agree because we young adult see stuff on social media that is trending so now we have to get it and when the trend dies you left with something that was completely useless.

As a thriving society, we can't be satisfied with just the bare minimum. Whether we talk about relationships, our place in society, or material things. In order to get our wishes fulfilled, we have to make some sacrifices. One of them is the well-being of our environment. I don't really think we can fix the damage we did to our planet, but we can at least prevent it from getting worse.

Wasting money buying phones every year just to be trendy is awful. I think we should learn how to save the money we get from different sources because we are teenagers so we don't earn that money. It's hard not to go with trends as a teenager because if you don't go with them you'll be considered boring. The new generations should be taught how to manage money and how to be liked for their character, not for the things they have on them or what kind of phones they have.
The prices of brand new products are very high, that's why teenagers think that if you have one product that is very expensive you are cool and should stay around you. Even if it's not necessary to buy all those expensive things, people will buy them for approval from others.

there are a lot of things we don't need that feel like a necessity after we see them again and again in trends on social media. trends like "Tiktok made me buy it" and "affordable items on amazon you NEED", premote cheaply made, low quality items that underpaid workers slaved over just for you to use it once and forget about it, or decide you don't like it but be to lazy to send it back. there are a lot of things that have been built into our society that are really useless. and of course its ok to want things. we just cant let it consume our whole lives while we hop on trends until there gone and then throw the items out to make space for whatever new thing will come and go.

I totally agree with what you are saying, with social media paying influencers to promote cheap fashion or low quality items, people get influenced to want to buy them. Usually these items are made from fast fashion industry’s as well. For example the fashion website many buy from, Shein, is a fast fashion clothing online store that uses child labor and sweatshop factory’s to make there clothes. Usually these clothes also end up being unsuitable or break easily so the people send them back, and when they are sent back broken and battered the company throws the things away making this never ending cycle keep hurting the climate. From a analysis by Business Insider fast fashion industry’s are responsible for almost 10% of the worlds total carbon emissions. These industry’s end up drying water sources for people and animals, They also pollute many rivers and lakes. And circling back to how they throw the unwanted items away, almost 85% of the products made are sent to dumps almost a week later. So again in this I totally agree with your statement about how these things are wants that end up hurting our world, so next time someone decides to buy from fast fashion they should think twice.

It is a great point you(liza) made about how different aspects of the internet promote cheep, poor quality consumer goods. The problem isn’t only that they are promoted, but the fact that these type of items are made in the fist place! Large companies implement planned obsolescence to purposely create products that will break, forcing consumers to buy a new thing, and putting exorbitant amounts of waste into the consumer cycle. This type of explotion needs to stop, and I agree that outside of creating laws that prevent companies from doing this, the best way to make change is to stop buying these products.

I think it’s interesting how people talk about these unnecessary purchases with excuses like “TikTok made me buy it,” like they were forced into buying it and they had no other choice. I think sometimes they know it was just some silly thing they bought, don’t really need, and will forget about quickly, but saying that TikTok made them buy it puts the blame partially on the viewers and relieves the influencer some guilt. I wish they could just own up to the fact that they bought it and maybe they shouldn’t have.
I agree with Raya, it would be ideal if this was stopped at the beginning, before anyone anywhere even had a chance to buy it. We can help prevent these products from being exchanged by refusing to buy them or at least thinking hard: is it a want or a need?

The idea of thinking "Wants or Needs" is really interesting and could actually helps us to make less compulsive purchases. I should probably talk about this with my mom. Sometimes we bought things that are "useless" according to our lifestyle. And it's such a problem since we use it like just once or twice and then, put in drawers, etc. We should think twice before buying things, we should ask ourself if it's a need or just something I want( knowing that it could just be for ostentatious purposes)

Is it always essential as humans to have the newest phone, newest laptop, newest AirPods? Personally, I do not feel that it is. It is harmful to the environment, wasteful, and purely unnecessary. When most popular electronics are created, they are built to contain liquid crystal display panels. Each time those are created, greenhouse gasses are emitted, directly harming the earth. Building a new smartphone represents 85%-95% of its total carbon emissions for 2 years. Which in simple terms, means that buying one new phone takes as much energy as operating and recharging the device for a decade. Keeping this in mind, I do not buy new devices unless I feel that mine is in such critical condition that it is necessary to make that purchase. It would be pointless and wasteful to purchase a new device, just for the sake of having the newest electronic.

I agree, when people think of the negative effects of technology they usually think of the impact they have on our minds—which is a whole new problem—ignoring the impact it has on our planet as a whole. Not only does the overflow of tech crowd our minds but it crowds our atmosphere as well. It’s not bad to own a phone, the problem begins when it’s phone after phone with no intent to keep the current after a new model is released. We might even be better off going back to flip phones or more environmentally friendly alternatives.

I completely agree with what you’re saying and agree that buying new technology and unnecessary purchases are not needed until your material is sufficiently suffering in the realm where they are not able to function properly. Looking at a CNN research article, it says that the American smartphone user keeps their phone for an average of 22.7 months. Knowing from experience there are some people that do have the money to afford buying a new iPhone every new release. This is completely unnecessary because unless the phone is in critical condition it still functions as any other would. This process is completely wasteful as you stated because of the fact that the phone you replaced would just end up in a landfill. This process solely to have the newest iPhone and technologies? Is it really necessary?

I completely agree. I think that people confuse the difference between wants and needs. For example lots of people are always quick to go get the newest iPhones even if theirs is only a few years old. I think there is no need to get a new phone, iPad, or computer unless the old one is broken or unable to be able to be used. I also agree with Luciana when she says that people think of the impact on our minds and not necessarily the impact on our planet. There’s also the fact that when someone gets a new phone and if they don’t dispose of it correctly all the pieces that go into making our phones end up in landfills and that isn’t good for the environment either. I never buy new phones I always take my siblings or parents old ones so that they aren’t just getting rid of a perfectly good phone.

Buying new devices is one of my weaknesses in my carbon footprint. I buy new and not refurbished devises, and which I do not need new fancy devices I still get them. One of the things I believe I could do to reduce my footprint in this subject is use my phone less. My screen time is extremely high and it most likely uses a lot of data.

I completely agree with all of this. Anytime I have a small crack on my phone or if I loose my headphones I immediately ask my parents if I can buy a new pair even if my device is in good condition. I believe that there is a serious stigma that comes around buying the latest most expensive item. When you finally get that new item you feel so cool for about a year until the next new things comes out and gather once very cool item is worth nothing. Apple and Samsung in particular are always coming out with new products that are very appealing to their consumers. But is there really anything better about the phone or tablet that came out a year later than the one before that? These companies set a trap for many teenagers and adults and it’s our job to realize that constantly buying new products is a waste of resources and is very bad for the environment. Although it will be hard I plan to use my devices until they quite literally break in half.

I agree with most of the original statement. I would like to say though from my personal experience I can be the person that sometimes buys a phone every year. I do realize the effect that can make, that is the reason I use Apple products. Apple’s trade in program is a wonderful initiative to save the environment while saving you a buck too. The trade in program allows you to trade in your iPhone of any model or even any device and it will be recycled and reused. This will also get you a discount on the device your trading in for. I have a wonderful experience with this program I can say nothing but good things about it.

I don’t think that the real / main issue is about the purchase of a new laptop or others devices. For me, I think that it is about how we use it. For example, if you use your new device just to watch Netflix, or use social media… you know you’re doing wrong - for environment but also for your lifestyle habits.
Every tools can be good for environment, but it depends on how we use it.

In the past, I never thought about how purchasing brand new clothes could take an negative impact more than just my money, now I want more clothes than ever, but I make sure it is only affecting my spendings account. The answer is buying used clothes. Used clothes are a great way to save money and save our earth. Not only are they significantly cheaper and more eco friendly, but I think they also look better. There are also many easy places to buy them. You can get them off of goodwill, eBay, family, thrifting and more. You can help save the Earth while saving money and having better clothes so why wouldn’t you get things used?

Hey, I agree with your points. I never realized how bad buying new clothes in store are, so I want to start buying used clothes. Used clothes are a wonderful alternative to recycle old clothes that will benefit our planet. I mean not only is it saving the planet, but it is a cool concept how they are more original clothes from different decades. If you wanted to buy a specific pair of shoes or clothes there are online thrifting stores where you can search for specific things. Not only is it an effective way of getting new clothes, but it is a simple way to sell your old clothes and get money for it. Overall this is an idea that you must look further into.

Hey, I agree too with both of your opinions.  Regarding compulsive buyers there are other alternatives to manage our need to buy.  Indeed, we can satisfy our need for shopping by creating our own clothes using sewing!  A very good alternative that will allow you both to stand out from others but also to reduce consumption in industries like Zara that must be boycotted: we must support the planet but also human rights (think of the Uyghurs).

Baseball is my passion and I have been playing it since I was four. In the recent years I have dedicated much more time to baseball and now I play it year round. With the competition constantly getting harder I always want new baseball gear to make sure I can keep up with others. Although sometimes I do really need new gear, generally it is in good condition and I could still use it for years to come. Even if my gear is completely fine I would still spend thousands of dollars on new bats,gloves,pants,helmets and balls. As I have matured more I realize that spending thousands of dollars every year on new gear isn’t sustainable for my wallet or the environment.  Unless I need new gear I will from here on out be using my gear until it isn’t usable. Instead of buying of the best gear I will get used or less expensive gear. By doing this it will save money and reduce my carbon footprint.

I play baseball too and wrote a passage just like this. I feel like a lot of the time you’re buying so much gear, not just because it supposedly will make you better, but it’s also just the “cool” thing to do. Having the newest design of bat, or the 350 dollar glove. I have found too, that I am constantly buying new things. While baseball is an expensive sport, where you often need new gear, there are definitely ways to work around it in more sustainable ways.

I am also a baseball player and I could not agree more with both of these. I’ve just gotten more into baseball in the recent years and I’ve found myself more recently spending way to much on newer bats, gloves, glasses, etc. and honestly when I’m just browsing around in stores I see something that looks as Liam said “cool” and new and feel like I need to get it to get my best possible baseball experience. Obviously sports are expensive and at some point in time you eventually will need new things, I totally agree that we should use things to their maximum, as they were made for.

Hey guys! Although I do not play baseball, I as well am passionate about sports. For me, my sport is hockey. Even though it is different sports with different equipment, the prices still add up. What Liam was saying about how new models for gear and sticks come out every year and they advertise it to make you believe you will perform better with the newest equipment. I think not only the cost of gear tearing a big hole in the environment and your wallet, but additionally how bad it is for the environment transporting to games or practices. Although for club sports it can be difficult getting around the negative impacts transportation has for out environment, there are ways to get around buying new gear. For example I get some of my hockey gear from my brothers old equipment. You can also reach out to family friends or teamates that play the same sports as you. This can be a good solution to bring new life to somebody’s old gear.

I completely agree with you Brian! Even though I do not play baseball, I ski almost everyday in the winter. In the past year I have been purchasing way too much ski gear. Just this winter I have gotten two new pairs of snow pants that I really did not need. Next year I am going to try to cut down on purchases and reuse almost all of my gear from this year. Like baseball, skiing is also extremely expensive. Not only would it be better for the environment, but you would also save tons of money.

I completely agree, I would buy new bats, gloves, and many other things for baseball every year, even when I had perfectly good ones.  I stopped buying new gear as often pretty early on.  I wish I could say I made this decision because I knew was helping the environment, but the real reason was I liked to take my older brothers bats.  Only a few years ago did I realize the effect it had.  I know donate my old gear to a place that’s sends to the Dominican Republic.  I not only help m wallet and the eenviorment, but I also get to help replace milk cartons with baseball gloves.

I agree, although I play hockey and not baseball there is still many instances in which I purchase new gear when it is not necessary. It not only has a large effect on the environment, but your bank account as well. Whenever possible I try to buy used gear and give old gear to someone who needs it. It is not only good for the environment but it also is often at a reduced cost. It is important to realize that expensive purchases like sports equipment can have a big effect on the environment. When you play a sport which driving is absolutely required, cutting down on your carbon footprint in any way you can is especially important.

Since the fashion industry is hugely detrimental to the planet, how do we change the entire culture? Is it possible to get people to stop buying cheap clothes?
At scale, if EVERYONE were to buy the majority of their clothes used, would the brands adapt to more durable, less trendy clothing? When will the environmental need outweigh people’s want for cheap new clothes?
Social Justice - where do we draw the line about working conditions, and what percent of people are aware of what kind of brand they are supporting when they buy clothes? Would ratings be viable (like labels on food) something saying a brand’s sustainability rating?

I agree 100%! Durable clothing may be more expensive but you save in the long term in two ways; They will last longer so you won’t have to buy more clothes that will break easily and second it means less waste which save the planet. That is why I try to buy from brands such as Patagonia.  Patagonia is a B corp. company. Also almost all of there clothes are made of recycled materials and if they break you can send them back or bring them into a Patagonia store and they will fix them. They also have a line called worn wear. I have a worn wear shirt it is super cool it is made of multiple shirts sewn together. Up until recently they gave 1% of their profits to stopping climate change. The founder recently gave 98% of the stock to a non profit group.

All in all I think that more people should buy from company’s like Patagonia. They may cost more but you will save in the long term.

I agree that fast fashion is terrible for the planter overall. Although there are some benefits to it, like people who can’t afford as nice clothes it makes more sense for them and may be there best option. But, thrifting and buying second hand clothing is also very affordable (generally) and is very good for the environment, because you are getting maximum use out of a piece of clothing.

The push to buy the latest gear is a familiar feeling to most athletes. When we examine the root of this pressure, it spurs from the very companies manufacturing this equipment. This is unsurprising as their very business model is based off of athletes buying new gear from them. Without consistent business, these companies would go out of business which is why many of them sponsor elite athletes to advertise their products in the hopes of influencing potential buyers. Often, newer products give a false boost of confidence. While the product may not actually improve an athletes performance, the mentality it gives them may. In our society, expensive and new gear is often associated with being better at a sport. This is subliminally messaged to younger generations through professional athletes social media, ads, and even viewing a professional sport. When you watch a pro athlete compete, they wear the newest, most expensive gear bearing the logo of their sponsor. When you watch someone excel at a sport wearing this gear, your brain associates their success with the product which improves the likelihood of you purchasing that product. Sports companies are very familiar with this concept, which is why we as consumers can work to disrupt this cycle. When you go to purchase new sports gear, ask yourself if you truly need this equipment or merely wish to own it?

Almost everybody doesn’t need to upgrade their phone every year. Sure, some people who review devices as their job shouldn’t suddenly stop reviewing, but for most people, it’s a good idea to just keep your current phone until it’s battery is significantly degraded, or it’s broken/4-5+ years old. Less overall devices will need to be made and less minerals will need to be mined if more people just keep their phones for longer and maybe replace the battery instead of buying a new phone.

I have seen a certain person smash their phones for Fun. Instead of wasting and being careless about their devices people should always be giving back. Because, constantly keeping the need for phones in demand and having so many produced just to be wasted by people replacing them unnecessarily is just contributing to the problem.

I agree with both of these ideas, and this could go for many things too like iPads, tablets, computers, monitors and more. I think that if people feel the need to change or get a new hone then they could start to think about buying used (but still completely working) phones. Phones like the ones that people trade in when they feel the need to get the newest one even if they dont need it. This could solve the feeling that people have of wanting a newer or just different phone but they still would be using one that has been re purposed.

Hey guys, I agree with your thoughts on phones and I wish there was a better solution. I don't think that there is a need to get the newest and best devices every year when they come out. Companies make you think that the newest model will change your life and that it is significantly better than the model of phone you currently have. This can pressure people to buy the newest thing to fit in or be cool, which is simply just not true. While the new devices have slightly better camera quality and some interesting new features, it is not always necessary to have. To add on to what was said about not needing the latest phone, when people do get new devices, what are they doing with the old ones? I know in my family we have a couple of old devices that are just laying around, not being used. I know that this is not beneficial to anyone and I wish that there were more well known ways to turn these in to give them another life. Instead of just having old phones, ipads, and laptops laying around, give it to someone who actually needs it.

I often get new gear for sports, and new clothing like jerseys and such because it can help my game but it is also fun. I never really think about how much I am actually buying. Some of these things I actually need, like for baseball I can’t really play without a bat, but do I really need 2 bats, glove oil, 2 pairs of batting gloves, 2 pairs of pants, probably not. A large part of baseball is what you wear, like cool sunglasses, and eye black, but you don’t always need the excessive full face of eye black, although it is pretty cool.  I am going to try to reuse what I have for as long as I can, and maybe get used gear from other people. While some new gear is necessary, I will definitely try and take a new perspective and be more aware of what I am buying and how much I am buying.

I just responded to a discussion just like this, and I couldn’t agree more, I’ve noticed a new store where I live that sells old sporting equipment for better prices, and its getting reused, I am sure there are many types of these stores around the globe. In some ways it’s hard to play on teams with only one pair of pants or things like that since you are usually forced to buy a uniform for said team, I am not saying I agree with this system and maybe that is another way we can help.

I’ve been playing lacrosse since 2nd grade, but i starting consistently playing in 7th grade. Lacrosse is a really fun sport for me and it’s a good thing to look forward too In the cold season. Lacrosse is a very expensive sport, and a lot of gear is needed. Every year I always break something I have and need to get new stuff. I think that a smart approach for the next time I get gear would be to get it slightly used to help reuse things, when I’ll Probably end up breaking them inevitably. I will especially use this once I get to old for my parents to have to keep buying my equipment, so I can save money

Hey Liam, I agree with your thoughts about wanting to cut down on gear. Personally, I don't play lacrosse, but I have similar feelings about the gear that I play in for hockey. I have played hockey ever since I can remember and it is a big commitment in terms of cost to play, and the gear it takes. Over the years I have tried to find the best gear I can used, but sometimes that is just not an option. For specific equipment that I need to buy new I try to use it until it can't be used anymore, this is unfortunate because then people cannot use my gear after me. I wish that that there was an alternative to make more eco friendly gear that would be able to decompose or be recycled once its life is up. I think that while using used gear is definitely a good solution to bring new life to somebody's old gear, I wish that there was a solution after the gear has been reused. With the phrase reduce, reuse, recycle, gear is missing the recycle component.

in my opinion having the latest phone or having the latest car it's very useles if the one you have still work,because of two reason,the fist one is a waste of money,the second reason,increases the garbage in turn increase the pollution,so we need to stop this.

I almost completely agree with your statement focused on phones; one doesn’t need to get a new phone every time a new one comes out, but cars deteriorate much faster than a mobile phone, and are much more beneficial to a person. This doesn’t mean that you should buy a new car every time you desire one, but keeping your car up to date is very important.

Cars only deteriorate if you don’t take good care of them. Both of my parents cars are from the early 2000s, and mine is from 1990. While they do have some issues that need occasional maintenance, for the most part they work just fine. It’s true that older cars don’t get very good fuel efficiency, but some of this is offset by keeping all of the materials from an old car out of a landfill, and not consuming new products. The same is true for things like home appliances, technology and other resorces in our daily life. As the saying (almost) goes: “If it’s not broken, don’t buy a new one”!

Do you need new clothes

Do you need new clothes or just want them, their is big difference between wants and needs. People tend to buy clothes that they wear only a few times because they buy it out of a want for the piece of clothing so bad so it wastes away in a closet and you might end up throwing it away instead of donating it. You should always donate you clothes unless they are unwearable and torn up, donating clothes helps other find clothes and it keeps clothes in the world until they are unusable. Don’t throw away clothes after a few uses because its a waste and it terrible for the environment and helps no one.

We often by fins fairly years, just cause we want it in the moment only to throw it away later when it’s still use left in it.

For me, I am guilty of buying so many things that I don’t even use. Looking in my closet, there are so many clothes I don’t wear! For lowering CO2 emissions, we need to focus on not buying things because we simply want them, rather because there are necessary. Consumption has a massive effect on CO2 emission because almost every product links back to a mass producing factory. For me, I am constantly trying to reuse and recicle to keep my emissions low. Along with that, buying locally is also a good thing. And instead of throwing away all my unused clothes, I am donating them to thrift stores and children’s homes so they can be reused.

As much as clothes can be a required need, they can also turn into a want when you already have clothes available to wear and you just choose to spend your money on new brands or what's been trending lately. You should be satisfied with what you already have because buying more just becomes a process of wasting money on clothes that you will most likely wear once and then leave to rot in your closets. At a point where you have too many clothes that haven't been worn more than once stored in your wardrobe, it becomes more of a want than a need. Wasting money on unnecessary wants affects the amount of carbon footprint a person has, which could increase the amount of greenhouse gases in the environment, leading to pollution in the ecosystem. So maybe instead of wasting money on things you already have available, you could instead focus on saving up money for other stuff that you actually need.

I heavily agree and love the way you’ve worded your statement. With the rise of temporary micro trends, having new, more "fashionable' clothes can become more of a want. Most of these clothes bought are made from companies that use sweatshops or factories (burning petrochemicals, making greenhouse gasses) to produce their low quality items. Some or most of the percentages of clothes today is made from polyester, a plastic fiber. And if not recycled to make something new, which still burns fossil fuels, more plastic goes to waste. Also with the concern about fashion impacting your wallet, a rule I've lived by is that the amount of dollars something is should be equal to the amount of times you wear it. Clothing prices can be high nowadays so visiting a thrift store or investing in one good quality, long lasting item that you enjoy is better than multiple cheap products that follow a trend.

I completely agree with both of your statements. Fast fashion is a huge problem for our environment and online companies like Shein and Romwe are especially bad. Their clothes are very poor quality and are usually made from materials like polyester and nylon which don't decay which means that they will spend a lot more time in the landfill. The manufacturing of these cheap clothes is responsible for 10% of the worlds carbon emissions. Producing them in factories, the transportation and delivery all emit extreme amounts of carbon. The making of clothes also requires a lot of water. Just a single shirt needs as much as 2,720 litres of water, and around 3,781 litres for a pair of jeans. Shopping at a thrift store instead of online is an affordable and sustainable option to find clothes that may last a couple more years.

I agree! One way of being more sustainable with clothes is buying used clothes. Such as thrifting or hand me downs. I understand that some people want new ¨trendy¨ clothes but, You dont have to completly cut it out but a bit!

I fully agree. Fast fashion and quick manufacturing of clothes is a huge contributor of co2 emissions around the world. I really believe that shopping locally for clothes and buying used ones can be a great help to stopping climate change. It can also still be trendy, thrifting is huge in the United States, finding older and vintage clothing is helpful for the environment and is way more fashionable than it used to be. The transportation of clothing is also impactful, that’s why shopping close to you instead of making a trucker drive from florida to maine is critical to release less carbon dioxide.

I agree with all of these points, and if someone is wanting to be ‘trendy’ then you can always go to a thrift store and alter the clothes to fit in more. Thrifting is a much more sustainable way to shop, but if you must buy from fast fashion brands or want something new, consider instead of throwing out your old clothes that you dont want/dont fit, try donating your old clothes to a thrift store or selling them on one of the apps like poshmark which would be sustainable and make you some money.

I completely agree with what you said. With so many forms of social media, people want to fit in and be “cool.” But our climate suffers from that. For example, some influencers on YouTube review “most seen clothes on TikTok” etc. up to millions of people can watch that one video and be affected by it. They could see something they like that comes from Fashion Nova, Shein, etc, which are all fast fashion stores. Stores that I mentioned above make poor quality clothes and use materials that don’t decay. They just end up spending a lot of time in the landfills. Producing the clothing puts greenhouses gasses into our environment which warms up the planet. While fast fashion stores are relatively cheap, they are responsible for 10% of the worlds commissions. There are some alternatives to not buying fast fashion or new trends. For example, you can go to the thrift store and find some amazing pieces of clothing and even “trendy” ones. You might even develop a new style that you like to wear. Another solution is getting hand me downs from friends and family. If you don’t like the hand me downs, you could customize the clothing pieces by sewing or ironing on patches etc. You can make the clothing price your own which is much better than buy a pre-customized piece of fast fashion.

I totally agree. As a teenager I have experienced this a lot, watching my peers, and I am definitely guilty as well. I think that fast fashion especially is something we need to improve on. It is a huge contributor of CO2 emissions, and if we either stick with what we have, or begin to only thrift clothes, it can be very beneficial for our environment. Another thing to consider is the packaging used in many fast fashion brands. Lots of fast fashion companies use plastic bags, individually packaging everything. This is definitely another big contributor as not everyone is in the habit of recycling, and it would be much better if we used more decomposable packaging. I think many of us could also most definitely be more grateful with what we have, rather than constantly buying more clothes that we don’t need. There are more people who could use those clothes, and the money could be better spend on someone who needs it more.

This is a very interesting and attention-grabbing point. In our current society, keeping up with trends, makes you “popular” and “cool.” This is a societal norm we need to eliminate as a whole. The constant purchasing of brand new clothing items and technological devices has a significant impact on the carbon emissions in our community. The fashion industry is responsible for approximately 10% of the globes annual carbon emissions. When people buy garments and only wear them for a short amount of time before they aren’t “in trend” anymore, these garments end up in landfills. There’s also more to this point, as fashion industries demand is becoming higher and higher, and in order to supply people with the production of materials they desire, carbon emissions increase. What we need to do is come together, and eliminate that desire globally to always need the brand new versions, and be on top of the trends, as this is impacting carbon emissions more than anyone realizes. Rather then feeling the constant need to purchase new things, we should savor items and only buy what we TRULY need. It’s important to take into consideration the environmental impact our choices have, and this is a great example of, how we can be so blindsided to the impacts of our choices.

I agree 100%.  People send way to much time and money to buy whatever the newest things are.  Lots of people see a photo or video of a famous person wearing new clothes and they will immediately order what they see without even thinking about the effect they have on the earth.  The fashion industry is designed to make costumers buy what every is newest, similar o Apple customers buying the newest phone.  People think that they need it but they truly just want it.  One thing that you can to to lower your emission is to shop at thrift stores or recycle and donate your old clothes rather then throw them away.  We should keep what we have for longer than what we currently do and only buy new clothes wen we truly need to.

I agree that when you buy clothes your motive should be mainly that you need them, not just because you wan’t them. If you want to get new clothes and get rid of your old clothes, there are many ways of giving your old clothes away instead of just throwing them away. You can give them to someone you know, sell them online, give them to a consignment store, or donate them to somewhere like Goodwill. I usually buy my clothing at secondhand stores and I always have to love whatever I want to buy, or I won’t get it. This is a very important rule to have when you are shopping, especially with fast fashion and short lived trends.

Exactly, not only this but there are many ways to get clothing you “need” other than buying it new off a website/in store. Thriving is a great alternate way to find clothing, you might even find some other really cool things. Hand-me-downs are also great. My friends older sister gives her old clothes to my friend and I to go through, and find anything we want. If you ever have clothing you don’t want anymore, don’t just throw it away, donate to local thrift stores, Goodwills, shelters, and ask your friends/family if there’s anything that they want. By buying from certain online stores (Zara, SHEIN, Romwe, H&M, etc), you are not only bring up a carbon impact, but giving money to these companies to continue there horrible environmentally unfriendly businesses. By doing research before buying from a website, find out their impact on the environment, boycotting these companies can help cut their environment impact off. Not only this, but next time you see clothing you “need”, think to yourself, am I really gonna wear this more then once?

I definitely agree with all of these points. Fast fashion is a horrible trend our world needs to put an end to. As vintage clothes are becoming more popular I have found many people find it fun to shop at thrift stores, and it’s definitely a better option. Fashion isn’t always a need but a want. Many people are drawn to new trends and things that would make us appear popular, but I don't think being popular should cost us our world and contribute to horrible working conditions in manufacturing factories. Thrift shopping, shopping locally, or from small businesses is a much better alternative to buying fast fashion. So instead of throwing away your old clothes, and immediately going to buy new ones, think about donating and buying from a second hand store.

I fully agree with the points everyone made in this discussion, with the advent of social media and quicker communication, there have arose things called “micro-trends”. With these micro trends come an increase in the desire to look a certain way which is where fast fashion companies originated from. Due to the fact that people only want to follow these trends for a short period of time, it becomes ideal that companies would be selling clothing that fits the aesthetic they want to achieve and for a low price. The issue is that this low price and quick production time is only because the companies which produce such clothing take advantage of certain countries loose laws on production and worker safety in order to exploit garment workers. This leads to a production process that not only adversely affects the environment, but also the people manufacturing the clothing. After all of the production is done, a significant amount of carbon is expended by transportation all for someone to wear the garment for a few weeks and then throw it away. This cycle of production and consumption continues and people continue to support industries which exploit people and hurt the environment. If you would like to help decrease your impact in relation to clothing, shopping at sustainable stores and second hand stores will ensure that clothing is getting used to its full extent before eventually being recycled or thrown out. You could also avoid fast fashion companies such as: ZARA, Shein. ROMWE, H&M, Gap, Old Navy etc…

I fully agree with the points everyone made in this discussion, with the advent of social media and quicker communication, there have arose things called “micro-trends”. With these micro trends come an increase in the desire to look a certain way which is where fast fashion companies originated from. Due to the fact that people only want to follow these trends for a short period of time, it becomes ideal that companies would be selling clothing that fits the aesthetic they want to achieve and for a low price. The issue is that this low price and quick production time is only because the companies which produce such clothing take advantage of certain countries loose laws on production and worker safety in order to exploit garment workers. This leads to a production process that not only adversely affects the environment, but also the people manufacturing the clothing. After all of the production is done, a significant amount of carbon is expended by transportation all for someone to wear the garment for a few weeks and then throw it away. This cycle of production and consumption continues and people continue to support industries which exploit people and hurt the environment. If you would like to help decrease your impact in relation to clothing, shopping at sustainable stores and second hand stores will ensure that clothing is getting used to its full extent before eventually being recycled or thrown out. You could also avoid fast fashion companies such as: ZARA, Shein. ROMWE, H&M, Gap, Old Navy etc…

I entirely agree with the statements made in this conversation. Speaking as a high school student in an environment where I am surrounded by the constantly changing and developing trends in fashion, it is difficult to avoid following the aforementioned trends and purchasing new clothing regularly. I am definitely guilty of unnecessary consumerism, and this an issue that I am trying to combat myself. One solution, or rather, a better way of doing things, that I try to utilize is buying second hand clothing. This is more affordable and climate efficient method for purchasing clothing and other items. Overall, we need to be more mindful of the way in which we consume.

I 100% agree, and feel that people today have come to this point of wasting money online shopping, for clothing they truly don’t need, and will only wear a few times. I heard somewhere that on average, people only wear 25% of their wardrobe. This is crazy because of how true it is, and it really proves that we don’t need as much as we think we do, and we should be more aware in the moment of how much we will actually wear a piece of clothing. If everyone took a step back every time they made a clothing purchase, and honestly thought about how much they would truly wear it, we would be reducing some of the carbon emissions that are destroying our environment.

Is it a want or a Need?

As humans, we often say "I need that!" or "I have to get that!", but have you ever stopped to think if you REALLY need it?

Almost every year IPhone comes out with a new model, and many people are quick to replace their old phones that they have only had for a few years. This can be a huge problem because electronic devices are made to resist decompostion. It could take 1 million just simply for the glass to decompose. These devices make up for 70% of our overall toxic waste.

Next time you are thinking of buying a new phone, think to yourself, "How will this affect the environment."

People in general, tend to be rather impulsive when it comes to making purchases. Whether it concerns food, or clothes or any want or need. We, in the western world tend to be rather frivolous when it comes to spending, like buying a new phone when your current one works fine. Or, on clothing, people don't stop to think, "do I really need this $500 pair of shoes I only will wear once?" Not only does the climate take a blow from frivolities such as the aforementioned, the wallet does as well. Just stopping and thinking whether or not they need the newest tech or designer clothing or that soda makes a difference.

I agree with you, if the human was reasonable, we would live in better life's conditions. Unfortunetly, the human always wants more, we can't want to see how lucky we are. Also, Fashion is a business, this make buying. Even if we don't need it. But it's the same for everything. If we like to read, we would buy more books, if we like to draw, we always would buy more pencils and supplies. I can give you lot's of exemples like that. We just need to think more with our head and not with our heart. At least on this subject. At least on this subject. It's not 'cause things aren't expensive that they don't pollute. At us to change things, to them change together.

I totally agree with you because I have the same problem. I want some shoes, but I already got ones before r for another thing. I rather buy some new clothes that helping others ( give money...)

I totally agree with you because I have the same problem. I want some shoes, but I already got ones before r for another thing. I rather buy some new clothes that helping others ( give money to help africans for examples)

I completely agree and think that people should start to think about what they really need and once in a while should splurge and get something they want. As humans we will always have those impulsive thoughts to just go out and buy something that we see appealing but we should start to look at want it really is and will it still be appalling to use a year time and if you don't know then you should wait a while and if you still really like then you should buy it. And when you look at the new iPhones that come out every year and your looking to up grade you don't always have to buy the newest phone the only think that really changes is that the camera is slightly better or the battery is slightly better but other than that no one really needs the newest one other than just to say they have it. And the same could be said about clothing.

I 100% agree with all of these statements. Often times we see a trend on social media or in school, and convince ourselves we need to have that. Weather it’s a new piece of technology, clothing, or some sort of gadget, we tend to not think about the repercussions and just spend. But, if we thought before we bought about how these purchases are really effecting our environment, I don't think we would make half of the purchases we do. Now with this extra money you have, because you didn’t waste your money on something that is killing our planet, why not put it to good use. A great way to spend some extra cash is donate it. Give is to charity or donate it to some climate petition or act! Now you know your money will be used to help, not to kill.

Unfortunately, society and corporate institutions have taken advantage of humanity’s impulsivity. They cater to us with “new ideas” and “improved products,” when in reality, these products are barely better than the last. I really enjoy the iPhone example, especially in this case. Apple creates ads that make their “evolved” technology seem faster, sleeker, and of better quality. This intrigues viewers, and from the tactics used by the company, decide that they “need” a new device. The increase in demand increases production, and therefore emits elevated levels of carbon and other air pollutions. It is in human nature to have such impulsivity, but it is the fault of companies to take advantage of us for their own gain.

I’ve always gotten hand-me-down phones from my parents. Every 3 or so years they get a new phone and when they do they pass their old one down to me. Because of this, I have a big view of how often phone companies release phones. A year or two ago I got my moms old IPhone 8, that she got a few years before that. Approximately 4 years ago my mom got the iPhone 8, when it was brand new. 4 years later and they’re on the iPhone 14, probably working on the 15. It’s just crazy to think of how fast they create new generations so they continue to be relevant. They also do things like changing the headphone jack, or changing the charging port. So then, you have to buy even more from them when you get a new phone. These companies take what’s popular, and use it to make more money and to get people to buy more stuff.

I feel like everyone wants to but brand new clothes even though that is very harmful to the environment because its fast fashion. Fast fashion creates many fashion fuels and the clothes will most likely be thrown away later. If you want clothes that you don't actually need you should get something second hand. Not only would it be for a good deal it is so much better for the environment!

I agree with this, fast fashion has a very big and negative impact on the climate. These big brands that contribute to fast fashion tend to use the cheapest materials available in order to offer low prices, this means that the items you purchase wont be great quality or last long. People get bored of the new fashion trends quickly and buy new clothes as soon as they decide that they no longer want the older ones. Shopping at thrift stores is a great alternative as you mentioned because you will be able to get your clothes for good deals, just like these big brands are offering, but it is also way better for the environment. Plus you can develop your own unique style.  Another great way to reduce waste is to sew your own clothing through repurposing something old or purchasing ethically sourced environmentally friendly material!

I agree fast fashion contributes heavily to climate change. Micro-trends also contibute to the funding of the fast fashion industry. I think that people who can't afford anything else that isn't fast fashion are the only ones that should be buying from these stores. We need to start demanding that fast fashion brands be held accountable and also that peopl making the clothes get higher wages.

I agree with everyone here, these points are really good. I think that before buying clothes, you should try to get ethically sourced ones, but there is one counter argument that really resonates with me. Some people have a hard time finding clothes that fit them at thrift stores and are unable to make their own. Some of these fast fashion brands have pretty extensive sizing and options, which makes them more appealing. I don’t think this justifies the environmental impact or the effects on the workers, but it is something to consider, and in the future hopefully there are extensive sizing choices at affordable prices and the clothes are made ethically and as naturally as possible. That being said, I do love thrifting and think it’s a great option that is *usually* affordable, and it’s actually quite likely to find trendy clothes, as trends come in and out of style.

Between wants and needs there is a thin line dividing them. People everyday can say they “need” a new shirt, they “want” the newest video game, but do they really? Of course we need, food, water, some clothes on our body, but needing the newest iPhone, clothes, and video game is a stretch. Buying second-hand can decrease the amount of money used on all these new things. Trading in your iPhone for a new one can reduce the price significantly. Buying within the clearance section, all these ways can reduce the amount of money you are spending on your needs and wants.

I totally agree with what everyone’s been saying but sometimes its not necessarily a choice between thrifting and going to a consignment store is that not all the clothes at a thrift store will fit everyone for example they might fit someone’s waist but be to short in the legs or visa versa. The point im trying to make is that some people would fine better fitting clothes at a consignment store rather than just going thrifting.

I agree with the points that everyone has made here. Although many people think they can only find good clothes when buying them new, you can actually find lots of good things at consignment and thrift stores. Not only can this save you money, but it can also save a lot of carbon emissions from being produced. Thrift shopping is good for the environment because it keeps clothes out of landfills, reduces carbon and chemical pollution caused by clothing production, save resources, and lowers water consumption. So, with all these things that thrift shopping can help, it’s an easy decision to start thrifting more clothes not will you still be getting nice clothes, but you are also helping the environment.

Wants and needs can be difficult to determine but there are things that we need such as food, water, shelter. Things that we want can be clothes, electronics, etc. I do think that we need clothes but I don’t think that we have to constantly buy new ones just because we get bored of wearing the same things. Just like cellphones, we keep them for a few years and then we decide to buy a new one because it starts to get slow and worn down, but do we really need to buy a new one if it still works fine. I think that’s where the lines blur between want and need.

In the past i had some trouble with wants or needs but i think maturing is realising this. I try to get a good use out of everything that i own and only buy if it’s necessary. I haven’t bought new clothes since my birthday which was more than a month ago but that was a special occasion. I agree that it can be difficult thinking about which is a necessity and which is i want. Using your advice could help a lot of people to think about their carbon footprint and what they ready have.

I totally agree that the lines between wants and needs is frequently blurred. Another thing that kind of tags along with this thought is the fact that so many of us live in excess. Like you said clothes are a necessity but the amount of clothes, and where we get them from is a completely different story. I think it’s important for people to buy clothes and things second hand. When you buy things second hand it’s reusing and doesn’t support the super high demand and production for new clothes. Also if you are going to buy brand new clothes it’s important to buy them from sustainable, and humane companies. Between realizing that sometimes you don’t need that new shirt and buying second hand I think we can make a big improvement on our carbon footprints.

Það er mikilvægt fyrir fólk að átta sig á því að það er munur á að vilja fá eitthvað og þurfa að fá eitthvað. Mikilvægt að frekar að vera aðeins meira svangur og fá heita máltíð í staðinn fyrir eitthvað rusl út í búð t.d.

Ekki þarf að kaupa vörur sem maður þarf ekki nauðsynlega a að halda.