Monday, August 23, 2010

Just a few days ago we passed a sad marker for Earth. According to Global Footprint Network calculations, humanity reached Earth Overshoot Day: the day of the year when human demand on the biosphere exceeded what it can regenerate.

As of August 21, Global Footprint Network said that “humanity has demanded all the ecological services – from filtering CO2 to producing the raw materials for food – that nature can regenerate this year.  For the rest of the year, we will meet our ecological demand by depleting resource stocks and accumulating greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.”

Mathis Wackernagel, president of Global Footprint Network, said, “If you spent your entire annual income in nine months, you would probably be extremely concerned. The situation is no less dire when it comes to our ecological budget. Climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation, water and food shortages are all clear signs: We can no longer finance our consumption on credit. Nature is foreclosing.”

Watch a video on overshoot. Calculate your own Ecological Footprint and learn what you can do to reduce it.

Lester Brown says, "Saving civilization is not a spectator sport."

Sincerely,

Reah Janise Kauffman
Vice President