What is Overshoot Day? It is the day the people on earth start using more resources than the Earth can renew. In other words the last five months of the year we are living on borrowed time using more resources than the Earth can regenerate. Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when we (all of humanity) have used more from nature than our planet can renew in the entire year. To stay even we would need 1.7 earths to live on. All countries are not equal in the amount of the earth’s resources they use. The United States is not great, using the most resources. The USA would need 5 Earths to supply their needs, Australia would need 4 Earths to meet their needs, China would need 3 Earths, and India and many other countries helps balance it out and only would need 7/10th of an Earth to meet their resource needs. Read more here.
We use the resources of 1.7 Earths.
We use more resources and services than nature can regenerate.
What about the future? I wish it were easier to solve this problem. We consume too much and waste even more. Everyday we need to think how important clean water and clean air are to our survival. Start by cutting food waste, use fewer chemicals, strive for zero waste and quality when we make purchases, and of course, drive less. If everyone does a small amount, it can add up to a lot!
The Global Footprint Network has listed the four following solution areas to address ecological overshoot:
- Cities: If we reduce driving by 50 percent around the world and replace one-third of car miles with public transportation and the rest by walking and biking, we can #MoveTheDate of Overshoot Day back 12 days.
- Energy: Reducing the carbon component of humanity’s Ecological Footprint by 50 percent would #MoveTheDate 93 days.
- Food: If everyone in the world cut food waste in half, reduced the Footprint intensity of their diets, and consumed world-average calories, we would #MoveTheDate 38 days.
- Population: If every other family in the world had one less child, we would move Overshoot Day 30 days by 2050.
What are you doing to reduce your global footprint? Today as I was grocery shopping, refilling my containers, striving for zero waste, and being plastic-free. What good ideas do you have?
Health4earth 