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What is consumption?
Consumption means the using up of a resource.
What do we consume?
Some of the resources we consume are needed for us to survive, such as:
Air (oxygen) that we breathe.
Food that we eat.
Water that we drink.
Clothes that we wear.
There are many resources that we consume a lot of, but that we don’t need to survive. These include:
Cars that we use for transport.
Electricity that we use for things like watching TV.
Can the resources we use ever run out?
Yes, unless we make sure that we don’t waste them.
More and more babies are born everyday, so the number of people in the world is always getting bigger. However, the Earth can only produce a limited amount of resources.
Are there people who do not have enough to eat and drink already?
Yes. Thousands of people living in poor countries do not have:
Enough food to eat to stay healthy and survive.
Enough water to drink to stay healthy and survive.
Enough clothes to wear to keep warm.
Any electricity or cars to use.
What can you do to help?
Avoid wasting food. Only eat when you are hungry and try not to put more food on your plate than you can eat. Ask your parents to buy food in bulk and food that is produced locally.
Avoid wasting water. Try to take quicker showers and make sure you don’t leave taps dripping.
Avoid wasting clothes. Buy only the clothes that you really need. Ask your parents to buy clothes that are made locally.
Avoid wasting electricity. Watching less TV will save energy and give you lots of time to do other fun things, like playing sport. Make sure you turn off the lights after you have finished using a room in your house. Ask your parents to consider using renewable energy such as solar power in your household.
Avoid wasting fossil fuels. As often as you can, walk or ride rather than using a car.
What fun things can you do to help?
Ask your parents if you can:
See a play or film with your family rather than watching TV.
Go to story-time at your local library during the school holidays rather than buying books.
Plant your own fruit and vegetables at home.
Remember...
By helping to save our resources, you and everyone else in the world will always have enough of the things we need.