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Consuming The Earth? This week Costing The Earth asks if we are heading for consumption Armageddon and if so what difference, if any, can the individual make? More and more we are being made aware of the environmental impacts of modern living but how many of us are actually prepared to go green? Is it simply more hassle then its worth? Over Christmas and New Year many of us will partake in an orgy of spending. On average we receive £90 worth of unwanted gifts. A third of the food we buy will get thrown away. Shopping is a national pastime, it makes us feel better about ourselves and keeps the economy burning, but it also contributes to climate change. Miriam O'Reilly spends a day with a man who believes that only through individuals changing their lifestyles can the world have a sustainable future. Since a trip to the Amazon rainforest Donnachadh McCarthy has made it his mission to lead a life with as little environmental impact as possible. To do this he hasn't gone to live in a bender somewhere in Dorset, far from it, Donnachadh lives smack bang in the middle of London, and as Miriam finds out he's slowly winning the war on waste.