Today is the 222nd day of the year and as per a recent study, we Earthlings have already exhausted our usage quota of natural resources!
“The good earth is rich and can provide for everyone” said Charlie Chaplin once. But it does not seem to be the case any more. Earth is overdraft and what’s more worrying about it is that the date of our overshot consumption is coming earlier year-after-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 forests can sequester,” says GFN at its website.
Last year Earth overshot its resources on August 13 and in 2014 it was August 19. The first Earth overshoot day was recorded in 1987 and it was only on 19th day of December in that year. Now coming to think about the present plight, don’t you feel its scary.
Image courtesy: Global Footprint Network National Footprint Network Accounts
According GFN, carbon emissions is one of the primary reasons for the ecological overshoot.
If we wish to uphold the vision of Paris climate agreement adopted in December last year, then GFN says that it is imperative for the inhabitants of the planet to adopt newer and self-sustaining ways of life.
“Such a new way of living comes with many advantages, and making it happen takes effort,” noted Mathis Wackernagel, co-founder and CEO of Global Footprint Network, in a statement. “The good news is that it is possible with current technology, and financially advantageous with overall benefits exceeding costs.”
