Earth Overshoot Day ― Date, History, and Details
Earth Overshoot Day may be something you want to learn more about, and we want to help with that.
Let's dive deeper into learning more about the history of Earth Overshoot Day and why people celebrate or observe it.
History of Earth Overshoot Day and How to Celebrate/ Observe It
Earth Overshoot Day is the day when we (all of humanity) have used more from nature than our planet can renew in the entire year. We use more ecological resources and services than nature can regenerate through overfishing, overharvesting forests, and emitting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than ecosystems can absorb. This means that we are living beyond our means, and borrowing from future generations. It also means that we are putting unprecedented pressure on the planet’s life-support systems.
The Global Footprint Network calculates Earth Overshoot Day using the ecological footprint, which measures the demand on and supply of natural resources. The ecological footprint accounts for different types of resource use, including cropland, grazing land, forest products, built-up land, carbon emissions, and fish caught from the wild.
The first Earth Overshoot Day was in 1986. Since then, it has been getting earlier and earlier every year, due to our ever-increasing demand on the planet’s resources. This year, Earth Overshoot Day fell on August 1st, the earliest date ever.
We currently use the equivalent of 1.7 Earths to support our consumption. This means that it would take 1.7 Earths to regenerate the resources that we use in a year.
To sustain our current level of consumption, we would need 2.8 Earths. This number is likely to increase in the future as the world population grows and consumption increases.
There are a number of things we can do to reduce our ecological footprint and help bring Earth Overshoot Day back later in the year. We can eat less meat, waste less food, consume less energy, drive less, fly less, and live more simply. We can also advocate for policy changes that will help reduce our impact on the planet.
Every person on Earth has the power to make a difference. Let’s use our power to protect the planet and ensure a bright future for all.