I used to work with a guy who was very fat. He had a gut that hung over his belt and was about the size of three basketballs. He referred to himself as “big,” rather than “fat.” Every once in a while, our restroom visits would coincide. I was struck by the fact that when he washed his hands, he opened the hot and cold faucets full blast, ran the water for much longer than necessary and anointed his hands. Then he pulled about a half dozen paper towels from the dispenser in rapid-fire succession, dried his hands and tossed the towels in the trash. I’ve seen several other men perform a similar restroom ritual where I work now. It doesn’t seem to occur to them that they’re overdoing. This example is a small representation of a much larger whole.

Most Americans are gluttons. It seems to be inborn. I think it comes from a combination of human nature and the fact that America is a relatively free nation founded on an essentially virgin continent in a temperate climate. The circumstances invited, supported and continue to support excess. Somebody said that socialism never got anywhere in America because it’s like being a spoilsport at an orgy.

Since America’s founding, and increasingly as the nation developed, our domestic and foreign policies have been designed to feed and perpetuate our gluttony. Now we’ve reached the point that the world—both the Earth itself and all the other people—can’t take it anymore.