August 2nd is Earth Overshoot Day
The exact day where we use more natural resources than we produce
August 2nd is Earth Overshoot Day, a day recognizing the exact point in the year where citizens of the planet use more natural resources than our planet can renew in a year.
If you haven’t heard of Earth Overshoot Day, it might be because the occasion never falls on the same day each year. The official event date has crept back four days in the past five years, meaning that we are burning the planets resources at a more rapid pace with each passing year.
At our current rate of consumption, we are now using “1.7 Earths” worth of natural resources every year.
Earth Overshoot Day is spearheaded by the Global Footprint Network, an international think tank. They have created a great resource for calculating your own Earth Overshoot Day. The site also has suggestions on reducing your carbon footprint.
For more information about the occasion, Nicolas Huot, the French Minister of Ecological and Solidary Transition presented a video about Earth Overshoot Day.
