Wilderness Safaris Wins Virtuoso Sustainable Tourism Leadership Award
August 12, 2017
Swakopmund’s 125th birthday bash
September 6, 2017
What is Earth Overshoot Day?
How much of the Earth’s resources can the world use sustainably in one year? Or, at what point in the year has the globe used more of the earth’s resources than the planet can renew in that year? That means, if the world population used the earth’s resources sustainably, Earth Overshoot Day would fall on the 31st of December (which is not the case). Global Earth Overshoot Day this year fell on August, 2nd the earliest it has ever been. We consistently use more of what the planet can sustainably provide. And what Earth Overshoot Day aims to do is to illustrate to what extent we overuse the earth’s resources.
Hey, big spender!
Different countries have different overshoot days because some are higher consumers than others. So, for instance, a country like the United States of America goes through a year’s worth of resources by March, 14th. This means that the USA uses four times as much as the earth can comfortably produce. The USA would thus need four planets Earths to provide for its needs.
Bottom line: use less
Humankind is using more every year. And the fear is that at some point, the Earth will not be able to provide. Earth Overshoot Day aims to raise awareness of the importance to consume less. Smart choices like eating less meat and more local produce, driving fuel efficient cars and living in energy efficient dwellings. Creating a global community that is more aware of how much it consumes, may motivate us to use less.
Get involved
To calculate your overshoot day or how many Earths are needed to support your lifestyle, go to www.footprintnetwork.org or follow the conversation on social media with #movethedate.
