In less than 8 months of 2015, mankind has spent the resources of the Earth, calculated for a year. Footprint Network ( GFN ) estimates that the Earth overshoot day , when earlier than in 2014. At the moment, we consume the equivalent of 1.6 planets, which, according to experts, should grow to 2 planets by 2030.
The definition of this date (the overrun point) is based on comparing human needs (indicators of carbon dioxide emissions, cropland size, fish stocks and use of forests for timber) with the planet's ability to renew these resources and the ability to absorb carbon dioxide. This implies that the inflated demands placed on natural capabilities are causing more and more permanent damage that cannot be so easily remedied.
According to GFN estimates, humanity has been overconsuming since the 1970s, and since then the day of overspending has steadily come earlier due to population growth along with rising consumption around the world. GFN President Mathis Wackernagel comments : “The big problem is not that our deficit is getting bigger, but that it cannot be sustained in the long run. We are not taking steps to move in the right direction, even though we are in short supply. The problem is psychological: somehow we lack this basic physical law. This is obvious to children, but for 98% of economic planners, this minimal risk is not worthy of attention. The last question is, does it matter to the government?”
On a per capita basis, the UK consumes about 3 times more than ecosystems can renew, but its relative share of global consumption is falling as emerging economies grow and consume more.
The impact of this “environmental scarcity” is manifested in deforestation, soil erosion, depletion of water resources and the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Wackernagel has high hopes for these issues to be addressed at the Climate Change Conference in Paris this December, which plans to start collaborating to get rid of fossil fuels by the end of the century.
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