Of all the indices available to measure our impact on Planet
Earth it is Earth Overshoot Day (EOD) that provides
a unique insight in to how well we are dealing with the problem of global
sustainability.
Earth Overshoot Day is the date each year that our collective consumption
of resources exceeds the capacity of our planet to regenerate them.
The concept was devised by the research organization Global Footprint Network who use their vast database to calculate the
EOD for each country as well as a global date which this year is July 29th.
Although started in 2006, they have
been able to back calculate the EOD since our planet first fell into ecological
deficit in 1970 (data.footprintnetwork.org).
The good news is that the date has
stabilized, but we need to get that date going back towards September as
quickly as possible and ultimately back to December. The last time EOD fell in
December was 1972!
If we all lived the same lifestyle as those in either the USA or UK then Earth Overshoot Day would fall on March 15 or May 17 respectively.
#MoveTheDate
We all know that moving towards a sustainable planet is
critical in our fight to stabilize climate change as well as to protect
biodiversity, prevent hunger and improve planet health and that of ourselves
generally. The Overshoot Organization has launched the #MoveTheDate campaign giving reliable and achievable advice on how we can all make a
difference. Their goal is to move Earth
Overshoot Day back by five days a year so that by 2050 we will have a
sustainable planet once more. So please
support their work and make a difference every day in your own life, at home,
in the workplace and within the community.
