The human race has been living beyond its means in more ways than we realise, a report revealed today.
Today, August 19th 2014, is the day that we have used up all our natural resources for the year and have started “borrowing” from next year. In order to preserve the earth for as long as possible, scientists have calculated an allowance for use of natural resources per year. However, since the 1960’s we have been struggling to stay within this allowance, meaning we are using up the Earth’s limited natural resources faster and faster.
In an age of strict environmental laws and a tendency towards Eco-warrior status, this seems unbelievable: even those who don’t want to be environmentally friendly are finding themselves doing so without their knowledge (sustainable fishing more than likely caught that cod in your cod and chips). Unfortunately, the news is shockingly true.
The Global Footprint Network has named it “Earth Overshoot Day”: the day when mankind has outstripped their realistic availability of natural resources and the Earth’s capacity to absorb waste (such as Carbon Dioxide). The organisation -which is responsible for calculating the Earth Overshoot Day- has warned that it would currently take 1.5 Earths to meet the demand of natural supplies and that certain countries are still blatantly ignoring the problem, as if it doesn’t apply to them or is just “scaremongering” and are depleting their own resources at an alarming rate, causing them to feed off other countries too.
The organisation highlighted a statistic that is troubling: in 1961 the entire human race only used up three quarters of it’s yearly allowance, a stark contrast to today where we have used all of our resources by the 19August. 86% of the population if Earth now lives in a country where supply in no way meets demand for natural resources, and yet each year it demands more.
As the debate of Global Warming rears it’s ugly head once again and with renewed vigour, perhaps the human race should realise that it’s time to stop arguing and start dealing with the issues that are right in front of our eyes. It’s no good saying you “won” an argument when your planet runs out of time.
The International Business Times has an article too:
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/earht-overshoo … ft-1461765
There’s a good article over at The Guardian:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ … bt-earlier
And Wikipedia explains Ecological Debt Day:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_Debt_Day
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