Earth Overshoot Day continues to be earlier every year

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Planet
Posted 29 July, 2021

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Every year there is a specific day where humanity’s demand for Earth’s resources exceeds the amount that can be regenerated within twelve months. It continues to be earlier every year.

Ever heard of Earth Overshoot Day?

It is a day every year where our use of natural resources exceeds the amount our planet can regenerate for that year. Beyond that point, we’re overusing and excessively consuming to the point where Earth cannot cope.

July 29^th is the date for 2021, continuing a trend that sees Earth Overshoot Day occur sooner with each year.

This change in date is occurring because our use of resources grows exponentially, while the stability and biocapacity of our planet is diminishing. In 1970 Earth Overshoot Day was December 30^th – we’ve moved back nearly six months since then.

In a statement, Global Footprint Network CEO Laurel Hanscom noted that Covid-19 proved things can change quickly if we put our minds to it.

‘The pandemic demonstrated that societies can shift rapidly in the face of disaster, but being caught unprepared brought great economic and human cost’.

‘Let’s take decisive action now, wherever we are’.

Earth Overshoot Day was originally created by Andrew Simms, who is part of the New Economics Foundation.

This news is obviously not ideal – it’s more evidence that we need to get a handle on our energy and resource use before things completely spiral out of control.

COP26 in November aims to outline concrete plans of action that will benefit all nations, and encourage more equal financial distribution to adequately prepare for shifting weather patterns.

Ultimately, we need a larger conversation around our excessive consumption habits. It will take more than just alternative fuels and electric cars to get things back to normal levels. We all need to reduce the amount of things we buy, use, eat, and switch to non-meat diets where possible.

Let’s hope we’ll have clearer and more defined roadmaps into this century after November. Nobody wants a world in which Earth Overshoot Day is in January, eh?

Charlie Coombs

Editor In Chief London, UK

I’m Charlie (He/Him), the Editor In Chief at Thred. I studied English at the University of Birmingham and as a music and gaming enthusiast, I’m a nerd for pop culture. You can find me curating playlists, designing article headline images, and sipping cider on a Thursday. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.

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Every year there is a specific day where humanity’s demand for Earth’s resources exceeds the amount that can be regenerated within twelve months. It continues to be earlier every year.

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