Living means consuming, and consuming requires producing consumer item
s which causes depletion of non-renewable energy resources and emissio
ns of greenhouse gases. Thus, in addition to direct energy use, househ
olds indirectly require energy and greenhouse gases that are embodied
in their purchases of consumer items. This study deals with the requir
ements for energy and greenhouse gases in Australia during 1993/94 for
different aspects of living and how these amounts vary with changing
household characteristics. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights r
eserved.