One of the most important aspects of climate change and solving it is overconsumption. Personal purchases was one of the lowest divisions in my carbon footprint, and I believe it is because I have learned how to base value. A want versus a need sounds more simple in writing than it is when purchasing. The way I count if I really need an item starts with how forgettable it is. If you don't purchase it, will you wish you had in a week from now? If you imagine you will, the item probably has value to you, and while not necessarily a need, it puts the purchase at greater use. Another measure I recommend taking is considering what you already have. If you want to buy a shirt that you like, buy you have 15 other shirts, is it a necessity? For example, Ngan Li writes in his article for princeton.edu that one cotton shirt take 3,000 liters of water to create. So when you are planning to buy an item, remember to consider that everything has an impact on the world and this is the only world we have.

Source:
https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/7/ … nvironment