Consumer Consequences

What if everyone lived like you do? How many planets would we need to keep up with the pace of our consumption if everyone on Earth had your lifestyle?

American Public Media can give you the answer with Consumer Consequences. This online game is easy to play and gives you an immediate idea of how your lifestyle affects the planet by multiplying your affect times the globe's entire population. Everything gets tossed into the mix - your buying habits, transportation needs, the amount you recycle and even the size of your home.

It took about 15 minutes for me to complete. The information you gain is well worth the time invested. As for my results - let's just say it would definitely take more than one planet! The good news is, the web site gave me an idea of where I'm doing a good job (recycling) and where I need to try to find some other solutions (transportation and energy use).

Play Consumer Consequences: http://sustainability.publicradio.org/
Learn more about American Public Media: http://americanpublicmedia.publicradio.org/