Today, August
the 8th, is Earth Overshoot Day (EOD) as humanity has exhausted
nature’s budget for the year. Since 1970, Earth Overshoot Day has come earlier
in the year. This year, though, is a record. We have used as much ecological resources and
services (overfishing, overharvesting forests and emitting more carbon dioxide
into the atmosphere than forests can sequester), from nature as our planet can regenerate
in the whole year! In order to maintain this deficit, we liquidate stocks of
ecological resources and
accumulating waste, particularly carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In less than
eight months, we used more natural resources than the planet is able to produce
in a 12 month period. Thus for the rest of the year, we will be operating in
overshoot which means that any consumption from now on signifies an
unsustainable burden on the planet.
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| Source: Independent UK |
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| Source: Footprint Network |
This day is
hosted and calculated by Global Footprint Network. They are an international sustainability
organisation that does invaluable work in terms of coordinating research, developing
methodological standards, and providing decision-makers with the necessary tools
so that the human economy fully operate within our Earth’s ecological limits.
From an economic
perspective, EOD signifies the day in which humanity enters an ecological
deficit spending. From an ecological perspective, it illustrates the level by
which human population overshoots its environment.
Earth Overshoot
Day is an estimate, not a precise date. In order to determine the date of Earth
Overshoot Day for each year, it is calculated by dividing the planet’s
biocapacity (the amount of ecological resources Earth is able to generate that
year), by humanity’s Ecological Footprint (humanity’s demand for that year),
and multiplying by 366, the number of days in 2016:
(Planet’s
Biocapacity / Humanity’s Ecological Footprint) x 366 = Earth Overshoot Day
Calculate your own personal Ecological Footprint and learn what you can
do to reduce it with Footprint Network’s Footprint
Calculator. The good
news, however, is that something can still be done. There is still an
opportunity to reduce humanity’s ecological footprint. We must considerably cut
carbon emissions! Use the following hashtags: #PledgeforthePlanet, #overshoot,
and #EarthOvershootDay2016 to show your support towards a sustainable future!
Below are two videos showing what Earth Overshoot Day involves:
References
