You can reduce global warming by simply saving money. The more money you put in a bank, the less money you spend, the lower your global warming impact. At the same time that you are improving your financial future, you are also improving the planet’s future, a win-win for you and the planet.
It makes sense if you think about it, spending equals consumption, and saving equals conservation. When you spend money to buy something, you are consuming your financial resources, in order to consume natural resources. Everything you buy requires the consumption of natural resources. To produce and transport the product you buy, requires the burning of oil or other carbons, which causes global warming. Every time you shop - you kill the planet.
If you want to reduce your carbon footprint by 10%, spend 10% less, and put the money in a bank.
Their is a much quoted statistic that describes the impact Americans have on global warming. The United States of America is 5% of the world’s population yet consumes 25% of the planet’s natural resources. Why is that? Americans don’t save. Europeans save 15% of their income, the Japanese save 30%, and until recently Americans saved 0% of their income. In fact, for two years, in 2005 and 2006 Americans had a negative savings rate. The current recession has caused Americans to increase their savings rate to a whopping 3%.
What this mean is that Americans cause five times as much global warming, as compared to a European, and ten times as much global warming as a Japanese! What it also means, is that Americans are consuming their financial future, and their retirements. The Europeans and Japanese are saving money towards their retirements, Americans are not, and it is causing tremendous environmental damage.
If Americans return to their historical savings rate of 10% of their income, they would vastly improve their financial and retirement future, and also reduce their global warming impact by up to 3 times. You can save the planet by saving money.
An increase in the savings rate also strengthens the economy, and America’s national security, by reducing the amount of money that needs to be borrowed from foreign countries. When you save money, you help keep interest rates and inflation low, reduce the nation’s trade deficit and strengthen the dollar.
Do yourself, the country, and the planet a favor and start saving!
3 responses so far ↓
1 Jane // May 17, 2009 at 5:16 pm
It takes everything we earn to get by, and we are sinking into debt. There is no way to save anything. We spend only on necessities and do without many of those from time to time.
2 Jane // May 17, 2009 at 5:18 pm
I forgot to add that neither I or my daughter have health insurance. We pray we don’t need it.
3 Bass // Sep 6, 2009 at 8:57 pm
I’m an American living overseas. Between my wife and I working (I am a teacher, and she’s in marketing) we are able to save about $2,000 to $3,000 per month comfortably. That’s not too shabby — and we have good health care with national insurance and a private policy on the side. We’ll likely move to the USA when our baby (on the way) is ready for elementary school, and by then, we’ll have enough saved up to pay cash for a house, car, and other things for the house.
Americans, you are getting screwed paying for entitlements, hand-outs, bail-outs, and big government which supports corporations with golden parachutes for executives, as well as nutty fringe organizations that give politicians money to buy their vote.
The system is broken, people. Wise up. We sold our future to China and sent them our jobs as well.
Soon, nothing will be left. The rich making money off of the sale of the USA don’t care.
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