Humanity’s use of natural resources is in no doubt a wasteful and ill-thought mechanism, the by-product of which is global temperature increase, pollution and heightened health risks.
The global pandemic, fortunately, helped shield emissions, but the changes are too marginal and ineffective to reverse global temperature increases. Earth overshoot day is a yearly marker measuring the world’s use of natural resources (or biocapacity) beyond what we can regenerate and when they’re annually met.
The original starting point for overshoot day was in October 1970, but as the world consumed more and more, it was exceeded quicker than expected with capacity now met earlier.
Due to global lockdown measures, biocapacity fell for the first time since EODs inception, largely due to a drop in decline for commercial goods and oil.
Researchers from the Global Footprint Network say this year’s Earth overshoot day will fall on August 22nd. To put this into perspective, last years EOD was met July 29th 2019. The research estimates a decline in consumption of approximately 9.5% owing largely to the pandemic and reduced demand for air travel and petro-powered vehicles.
It is estimated that the rate of natural resources required to support human activity is approximately 1.6 earths. A shocking fact and damning assessment of the relationship between human activity and its abuse of the eco-system.
Stanisland Magazine 