Earth Overshoot Day is scheduled to take place this September 20th. It arrives earlier on the calendar almost every year. A couple of days ago Peter Gorrie of the Toronto Star wrote a great article entitled “When consumption’s in the red, we’re in trouble” which really captured my interest. I wondered why there is no outcry on a daily basis as we are clearly living beyond our means on this planet, and then I remembered that it has become acceptable for individuals and nations to borrow to live a lifestyle that is clearly beyond our means and is most definitely unsustainable. We borrow money and spend much of our lives in debt, we “borrow” resources that the Earth cannot possibly continue to supply for very much longer (we tell ourselves that someone in the future will figure out something in the nick of time – usually a future technology that has yet to be invented or perfected). We protect our comforts and continue to acquire wealth, use up available resources, purchase consumables, etc… Which leads me back to where I started.
So, what exactly is this Earth Overshoot Day and what does it mean?
Earth Overshoot Day doesn’t have any particular significance on the calendar. It is symbolic, a way for us to wrap our minds around the truth that as our population numbers grow and as our hunger for prosperity, energy and consumables increase, the Earth cannot provide what we desire. Rather than focus on the dire consequences that lie at the end of our projected path, it would be helpful to examine and implement practical solutions that all of us can collectively follow in order to push overshoot day past December 31st. The prize being that our Earth would be able to support our activities. And those of our children. And our children’s children… The alternative is unthinkable.
Earth Overshoot Day marks an unfortunate milestone: the day when humanity begins living beyond its ecological means. Beyond that day, we move into the ecological equivalent of deficit spending, utilizing resources at a rate faster than what the planet can regenerate in a calendar year.
Globally, we now require the equivalent of 1.4 planets to support our lifestyles. Put another way, in less than 10 months, humanity will have used ecological services it takes 12 months for the Earth to regenerate.
In 2003, Global Footprint Network was established to enable a sustainable future where all people have the opportunity to live satisfying lives within the means of one planet. They have a fabulous, very informative and practical web site with a very interesting footprint calculator that allows an individual to assess his or her ecological footprint. And lots of practical data and solutions. Enough to really make a difference if everyone took them seriously. Including me.