What are the most environmentally damaging things that a human can do?
What are the most environmentally damaging things that a human can do?
You might think human activities such as flying (long and short haul) driving cars with large engines and diesel engines would be the main culprits. However, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have undertaken a comprehensive study analysing over 39 peer-reviewed articles, carbon calculators and government sources to quantify the highest impact personal lifestyle choices in developed countries. They have used tonnes of CO2 equivalent (which takes into account the more potent greenhouse gas effects of methane) to highlight the single most environmentally damaging thing a human can do.
Owning a car is an extra 2.4t per year, one transatlantic flight is an extra 1.6t and eating meat an additional 0.8t But by far the highest scoring was an ‘extra’ child at a whopping 59t. Note that for this study an extra child was anything above the global average of 2 children per female and was considered in a the context of a western country (because this has a much greater impact than an extra child in third world/developing countries such as sub-Saharan Africa). However, the research also found that reducing overall national emissions could make the climate impact of an additional child up to 17 times less.
Interestingly eating a plant-based diet can save 4 times more greenhouse gas emissions per year than recycling, avoiding that transatlantic flight saves 8 times more and making do without a car saves 11 times more (than recycling). Vegetarian? Great, because switching from plastic to canvas bags is less than 1% as effective for the climate as a year without consuming meat.
| Activity | Impact |
| Pollution from a typical car (per year) | 2.4t |
| One transatlantic flight (return) | 1.6t |
| Eating meat (compared to a vegetarian lifestyle) | 0.8t |
| Having an ‘extra’ child | 59.0t |
| Activity | Impact |
| Using canvas bags, not plastic | 0.001t |
| Recycling at home | 0.2t |
| Eating a vegetarian lifestyle | 0.8t |
| Transatlantic flight (return) | 1.6t |
| Giving up your car | 2.4t |
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