Comments 4hummingbirds has made

Community Design and Poverty

I agree that it would be a wonderful thing if Americans were able to consume fewer calories and produce less greenhouse gasses. There are a number of links between obesity and petroleum use - the most significant of which is perhaps that the design of many American communities requires commuting long distances in cars (to sedentary jobs). In this sense, higher density/transit oriented communities may be able to help both reduce CO2 emissions and help Americans loose weight.

I agree with others that you can only take the analogy so far. For instance, obesity is not always the result of a 'desire to consume.' People become obese not just due to lack of self disciple, but also due to a number of other factors. For instance, poverty is commonly a contributing factor to obesity. Ever compared the cost of junk food to fresh produce, or tried to find a store that sells fresh foods in a poor urban or rural community, or tried not to overeat after not having had dinner the day before? Though poverty is certainly contributing to global warming worldwide, the persons who are most likely to be of healthy weight in America tend to be more affluent, and they are also the ones who are most likely to drive long distances often, have larger houses, and consume more natural resources in general.  On The parallels between accepting obesity and ignoring global warming posted 1 year, 10 months ago 71 Responses