Interesting Facts about US Consumption

[sandie]

Americans give record $295B to charity
Updated 6/25/2007

Church collection plates must've been full this year as Americans donated $96.82 billion to religious organizations.

HELPING HAND

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NEW YORK (AP) — Americans gave nearly $300 billion to charitable causes last year, setting a record and besting the 2005 total that had been boosted by a surge in aid to victims of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma and the Asian tsunami.
Donors contributed an estimated $295.02 billion in 2006, a 1% increase when adjusted for inflation, up from $283.05 billion in 2005. Excluding donations for disaster relief, the total rose 3.2%, inflation-adjusted, according to an annual report released Monday by the Giving USA Foundation at Indiana University's Center on Philanthropy.

I realize this is dated a few years ago, but it still holds true that America and Americans are very charitable.
The size of the donations have probably gone done recently in light of the economic conditions.
Hopefully that will turn around soon.

[citizen]

Originally Posted by sandie

Americans give record $295B to charity
Updated 6/25/2007

Church collection plates must've been full this year as Americans donated $96.82 billion to religious organizations.

HELPING HAND

Charity Navigator rates philanthropies based on efficiency and responsiveness.


NEW YORK (AP) — Americans gave nearly $300 billion to charitable causes last year, setting a record and besting the 2005 total that had been boosted by a surge in aid to victims of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma and the Asian tsunami.
Donors contributed an estimated $295.02 billion in 2006, a 1% increase when adjusted for inflation, up from $283.05 billion in 2005. Excluding donations for disaster relief, the total rose 3.2%, inflation-adjusted, according to an annual report released Monday by the Giving USA Foundation at Indiana University's Center on Philanthropy.

I realize this is dated a few years ago, but it still holds true that America and Americans are very charitable.
The size of the donations have probably gone done recently in light of the economic conditions.
Hopefully that will turn around soon.

...and yet:

•Americans constitute 5% of the world's population but consume 24% of the world's energy.
•On average, one American consumes as much energy as
o 2 Japanese
o 6 Mexicans
o 13 Chinese
o 31 Indians
o 128 Bangladeshis
o 307 Tanzanians
o 370 Ethiopians
•The population is projected to increase by nearly 130 million people - the equivalent of adding another four states the size of California - by the year 2050.
•Forty percent of births are unintended.
•Americans eat 815 billion calories of food each day - that's roughly 200 billion more than needed - enough to feed 80 million people.
•Americans throw out 200,000 tons of edible food daily.
•The average American generates 52 tons of garbage by age 75.
•The average individual daily consumption of water is 159 gallons, while more than half the world's population lives on 25 gallons.
•Fifty percent of the wetlands, 90% of the northwestern old-growth forests, and 99% of the tall-grass prairie have been destroyed in the last 200 years.
•Eighty percent of the corn grown and 95% of the oats are fed to livestock.
•Fifty-six percent of available farmland is used for beef production.
•Every day an estimated nine square miles of rural land are lost to development.
•There are more shopping malls than high schools.

Reducing consumption without reducing use is a costly delusion. If undeveloped countries consumed at the same rate as the US, four complete planets the size of the Earth would be required. People who think that they have a right to such a life are quite mistaken.

Americans eat 200 billion more calories per day than necessary -- enough to feed 80 million people.

While millions of people around the world starve to death, Americans spend $30 billion a year on diet programs. One-third of the U.S. population is significantly overweight.

My point is this Christian nation is consuming too much in all kinds of ways. And now its affecting our health and wallets.

[houston]

Originally Posted by sandie

You know, Houston, if you have a problem with me, would you just like to spell it out?
Or would you just like to hide behind lols?

someone woke on the wrong side of the...

[sandie]

There are two sides, Citizen.

America isn't perfect, but she's a charitable nation all the same.

[sandie]

Originally Posted by houston

someone woke on the wrong side of the...

You like to laugh at me, that's okay, I'm a big girl and at my age...just waking up is good enough.

[houston]

like to laugh at you?? I laugh at everything. you're self-centered.

[sandie]

Originally Posted by houston

like to laugh at you?? I laugh at everything. you're self-centered.

I'm self-centered....so, that's your problem with me. Good enough.

[Cindy]

Originally Posted by houston

like to laugh at you?? I laugh at everything. you're self-centered.

Keep it nice, laughing or not.

[houston]

problem with you? yeah, it's all about you. the opening post ...all about you. ...yeah.

[sandie]

Originally Posted by houston

problem with you? yeah, it's all about you. the opening post ...all about you. ...yeah.

Don't know what that means, but I'll let you have the last word.

oops....that can't happen if I'm still posting, so I'll just say I have no hard feelings towards you or anyone else on this board.
My apologies if I've been offensive in any way.