Today is the day we have used up the resources our planet can replenish in a year, and we’re a little shy of 8 months in. Since the early 1970s environmental movements have pushed for more sustainable use of resources and limitations on pollution and growth. Those messages have, to a greater or lesser degree, been heard. But as of 28 July 2022, we remain on the backfoot.
Earth Overshoot Day expresses the unsustainable way we are using the Earth’s resources. It moves a little earlier each year, largely because our land is becoming more unproductive, even as our population increases.
Radical changes will be necessary to shepherd humanity onto a more sustainable path. But as anyone who has tried to break a habit can attest, even the smallest of changes are challenging. Many people say they want to be more sustainable, but somehow nothing changes.
