CONSIDERATIONS

An interesting way to understand the impact of our decisions and activities on a macro scale is to consider the earth as a “bank”. We cannot take out more than we have otherwise we go into debt. Some will argue that short term debt is a necessity, we cannot just shut down emission causing industries because the economy and “jobs” are not easily restructured.

The Paris Accord, 2030 emission reductions and 2050 net zero emission targets recognise the need for transition. We are currently consuming natural resources faster than they can regenerate. Globally we are using as much ecological resources as if we lived on 1.6 earths.

Thus, the idea of “Earth Overshoot Day” and “#Movethedate” was conceived to determine the date in a year whereby the earth’s natural resources are consumed faster than they are replenished, and we go into debt. The trend was that this date was occurring earlier each year until COVID where emission reduction and less clearing resulted in the date being pushed back by about 24 days to where it was 15 years ago.

If we can move the date back by 5 days per year by transitioning to regenerative rather than consuming and emitting activities, we may use less than one earth before 2050.