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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