Today is the day when Earth's natural resources quota for the year has been completely exhausted.
Also referred to as Earth Overshoot Day, this day is a benchmark which signifies that we have completely cleared Earth of its resources for the year just in the month of July (whereas it is ideally supposed to be sometime in December). Which means, till the end of the year the resources we consume would be from earth's next year's quota.
Reuters
Just to give you a perspective the first Earth Overshoot Day was in the year 1970, which fell on December 29. Fast forward in 1999, the Overshoot Day fell on September 29. In 2017 and 2018, we exhausted the resources by August itself, and this year is a new low, just 7 months!
Slowly and steadily we are clearing up Earth's resources sooner than it is creating them, taking us to an apocalyptic future where our world will be completely exhausted of its resources.?
The report by Global Footprint Network (an organisation which keeps a check on the number of resources Earth possesses and the time we are taking to exhaust them) sheds light on how much the earth will have to provide to keep up with the way the countries are consuming the resources.
While seeing the consumption trends from the US, it'll require 5 Earths to quench its hunger for resources, whereas India sits on the lowest, with 0.7-percent. Sure there is room for improvement even in India, but we're in a much better position than the US when it comes to raiding the planet's resources -- despite our pollution woes.?
Global Footprint Network
According to GFN founder Mathis Wackernagel, the best way to release Earth from this tension is with the help of completely decarbonising the economy. This basically means saving fossil fuels and resources wherever necessary and replacing them with renewable energy options.?
GFN, in collaboration with Schneider Electric, has found out that if all of the existing building and industries start using renewable energy methods of electricity, the Overshoot day can be pushed back to as many as 21 days, even with no change in behaviour from the users.
Reuters
However, change in behaviour could also bring in a considerable impact. Personal mobility and transportation contribute to a decent 17 percent to the global carbon footprint. If these people either decided to carpool or use public transport or even walk or cycle wherever they can, we could push the Overshoot day easily to around 11 days. A good public transport network or designated infrastructure for cyclists could definitely motivate people to make this switch.
Earth Overshoot Day is an alarm, a gong that denotes that we need to get our act together. We still have a long way to go to save the home we live in. We only have one earth. If we won't save it, it won't be able to save us, despite its best efforts.