The Daily Footprint Project has taken me to the micro level of my personal footprint, down to the most minute details. I am only one out of six billion people, however. How do I fit within the larger picture? I wanted to know. I found this world map of environmental footprint on the Footprint Network:
The map tells me I am in the largest red zone, along with 300 millions other Americans. Together, we have succeeded at becoming the largest offenders against the environment, both in terms of our per capita and combined environmental footprint (from Living Planet Report):
I am left wondering where does the nine point six come from? What is it about the way we live in this country that makes us such outrageous consumers of the world’s resources? Here is what came to my mind, in random order:
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round the clock services
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big cars
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big houses
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master bedrooms
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hot tubs
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pools
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large food servings
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big appliances
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big everything
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driving everywhere
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love of electronics
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waste, throw away culture
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malls as meccas
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online shopping
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suburbia
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credit cards
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advertising
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red meat
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processed foods
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cheap gas
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cheap water
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cheap electricity
If only things were not so big, and cheap, and convenient, we would not be so tempted to consume as much. I know I wouldn’t. I don’t whenever I go back to France. And the statistics are here to prove it.
La Marguerite 
Don’t forget the vast amount of imported goods, fuel and food. This ups the ante for our ecological footprint. There are people all over the planet making subsistence wages to provide that long list you assembled.
I left out the sentence about shipping or freight costs – from an ecological standpoint. This isn’t just the cost of the fuel, the transport. The degradation of the atmosphere and oceans through shipping, rail, air and trucking are serious offenders.
Thanks Kate, for completing the list. These were the things that popped up in my mind right away. I am sure there are a lot more contributors to be added, including the ones you mentioned.
posititve