The Global Footprint Network performs the public service of calculating how rapidly we are drawing down the Earth’s natural resources.
The Network is an international nonprofit organization headquartered in Oakland, California. Its vision is “a future where all can thrive within the means of our one planet.” It partners wth over 70 organizations around the world with the goal of developing and promoting tools for advancing sustainability. Included is measuring the amount of resources we use relative to the amount the planet can sustainably provide with the aim of putting ecological limits at the centre of decision-making.
The day of the year on which humanity’s demand on nature exceeds the Earth’s annual biological capacity to regenerate in that year is called Earth Overshoot Day. The Day is computed by dividing the planet’s biocapacity (the amount of ecological resources Earth is able to generate that year) by humanity’s ecological footprint (how much humanity exploits that year), and multiplying by 365. The details can be found here[link].
Think of supply and demand.
On the supply side is a nation’s biologically productive land and sea area, including forests, grazing lands, cropland, fishing grounds, and built-up land. (Biocapacity)
On the demand side is a population’s demand for plant-based food and fibre products, livestock and fish products, timber and other forest products, space for urban infrastructure, and forest to absorb carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. (Ecological Footprint)
(Biocapacity / Ecological Footprint) x 365 = Earth Overshoot Day
This year Earth Overshoot Day is today, July 24. The resources we use for the rest of the year exceed what the Earth can regenerate over this entire year.
Needless to say, we can’t keep doing this forever. We are drawing down our natural capital. We are bankrupting ourselves. Every year Earth Overshoot Day comes earlier. The clock ticks on.
We are warming up the planet, setting the stage for a cascade of catastrophes. We are driving one species after another into extinction—a series of holocausts. And to top all this we are sucking the planet dry of the very resources we need for our survival. This may be the behaviour of a clever species, but not the behaviour of a wise one.
At my advanced age I don’t know why it should bother me. Should humanity recklessly bring civilization down around its ears, I won’t be around to witness the collapse.
Nonetheless, I would rather they didn’t. I am rather fond of Homo sapiens. I would like to see them come to their senses and deal with global warming, species extinction and the profligate exploitation of our natural heritage. It seems increasingly unlikely, but it could happen.
Couldn’t it?