Did you know that U.S. consumers spend $14 billion each year on Valentine’s Day gifts, which would provide basic education and nutrition for children in all developing countries? That’s why our Valentine’s gifts include homemade cards and going out on a date.
Did you know that the average coffee farmer get just 2 cents from a $3 latte? – That’s just 1/4 the cost of the paper cup it’s served in. Ouch, that hurts. Gotta keep that in mind if buying coffee from anyone other than Fair Trade certified cafe’s.
Did you know that couples in the U.S. spend an average of $28,000 on their wedding? Yep, and it’s twice the total income of a U.S. couple living below the poverty line. Thankfully, that wasn’t us – we spent way less and had a beautiful wedding!
Did you know that eating 1 pound of meat emits the same amount of greenhouse gases as driving a hummer 40 miles? Uh oh, I guess I should join my wife in becoming a vegetarian, but it would be hard to give up chicken…
Want to find out more facts about how our shopping and lifestyle choices can affect the rest of the world around us? Go check out the Smart Cart Quiz from World Of Good, to discover how your power as a consumer in the world’s largest economy can create positive change!
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Interesting facts – its frightening how much money the north american society spends. Spend half that 14 Billion a year on valentines and put the money to alternate energy research and maybe we won’t need wars about Oil anymore.
Frugal Babe just wrote an interesting post that also touches on this same subject.
http://frugalbabe.com/2008/08/19/when-did-watches-get-this-complicated/
And if you get the right kind of property, with enough land, you can raise your own chickens. Takes away some of the ethical concerns with eating meat… although I’m not sure I would want to eat an animal I had raised. That raises a whole ‘nother set of issues however!
Thanks guys! And Kelly, I could eat the eggs but probably not kill the chickens!
I have tried to make changes; I cycle to work, get my groceries delivered (less bags and no driving) plus I hate wasting food, so I am always trying to use left overs, or items with a shorter shelf life.