Known as Earth Overshoot Day, the annual occurrence has arrived today, and means that for the remainder of 2017, we will be using more resources than the Earth can possibly regenerate.
The research carried out by the Global Footprint Network and the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) shows that humans have used the resources earlier in a year than ever before, and just one day earlier than in 2016.
The two groups said in a statement:
“By August 2, 2017, we will have used more from Nature than our planet can renew in the whole year. This means that in seven months, we emitted more carbon than the oceans and forests can absorb in a year, we caught more fish, felled more trees, harvested more, and consumed more water than the Earth was able to produce in the same period.”
Humans would need 1.7 Earth’s to produce enough natural resources to sustain the civilization for a calendar year, say the groups. Food consumption is by far the biggest factor in overusing the planet’s resources, with it making up 26 per cent of the global footprint.
The consequences of constantly overshooting the mark includes drought, fresh water scarcity, and the build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Mathis Wackernagel, CEO of the Global Footprint Network, said:
“Our planet is finite, but human possibilities are not. Living within the means of one planet is technologically possible, financially beneficial, and our only chance for a prosperous future.”