eco nomics uncovering the hidden
costs of everyday consumption ?

meet joe.

joe’s an
average guy

trying to make the right
choices...

for his family...

and his
pocketbook.

in a single year, joe
will spend $25,000 on consumer goods and energy

and consume $100,000 worth of
natural resources.

joe pays for the products
he uses...

but is he paying the
of consumption ?

what about the
costs?

costs
from pollution & contaminants

costs from disaster and pollution
cleanup & lost natural resources

costs for oil & agribusiness
subsidies

military costs for energy &
food security

what would the true cost
of products be...

if their pricetags reflected the
costs?

gasoline the cost of filling
up retail cost $43.73 hidden costs total cost $232.11 what’s hidden? environmental, healthcare, subsidies, security, and other traffic-related costs

hidden costs
gasoline

plastic kid’s toy retail cost
made in china $1.99 hidden costs total cost $3.94 what’s hidden? environmental costs for the oil needed to ship the toy

cheeseburger retail cost the hidden
cost of beef $1.99 hidden costs total cost $3.00 what’s hidden? environmental costs from the production of beef

bottled water retail cost the
true cost of convenience $2.50 hidden costs total cost $5.23 what’s hidden? environmental costs from the use of oil to produce and ship the plastic bottles

home electricity retail cost a
month’s supply $351 hidden costs total cost $784 what’s hidden? environmental costs from the use of coal power

in a nation of 304
million...

costs
add up.

$1.69 trillion hidden costs $513
billion annual U.S. consumption of gas

$338 billion annual U.S. consumption
of goods made in china $330 billion hidden costs

$38 billion hidden costs $75
billion annual U.S. consumption of beef

$5 billion annual U.S. consumption
of bottled water $5.45 billion hidden costs

$451 billion hidden costs $370
billion annual U.S consumption of electricity

for the sake of convenience
or a lower pricetag today...

we’ve avoided
paying the
costs.

so... who will pay our
debt?

our kids.

through
rising
healthcare
costs

and higher taxes to pay
for environmental cleanup, government subsidies, and food & oil security.

and we haven’t even mentioned
the things you can’t put a pricetag on...

depletion of natural resources global
warming lower quality of life animal & plant extinctions

so what’s an average Joe
to do?

limit your impact. reduce your
consumption (buy used, borrow, grow your own food) eat less meat walk or bike instead of driving

vote with your dollars. support
eco-conscious businesses and products buy food from farmers’ markets shop local to reduce transportation and shipping costs

spread awareness. talk to your
family & friends about the hidden costs of consumption teach your kids to consume less encourage your employer to be more eco-conscious

your everyday choices make a
difference.

think about the
costs

and make
nomical
choices.

for your family...

and your
pocketbook.

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