Earths resources used up - Now we're in "Overdraft" (Earth Overshoot Day)

Why hello fellow ATSers, it has been a while! I stumbled across a piece I thought was of high importance and did a quick search for the article, but if it has been posted, feel free to move

We've used up all the resources the Earth can provide for the year and are now in 'overdraft', campaigners warn

The world has now reached 'earth overshoot day', the point in the year that humans have exhausted supplies such land, trees and fish
We have also outstripped the planet's annual capacity to absorb waste products including carbon dioxide, the Global Footprint Network says

I wanted to share this Article because some of its content is quite alarming.

Basically, in less than nine months we have used as much of nature that the earth can regenerate in a year. Earth overshoot day has come a few of days sooner than the year before, and although some may not see the importance of this, consider -

The Global Footprint Network said that in 1961, humanity only used around two-thirds of the available natural resources on Earth, but by the 1970s increased carbon emissions and consumption began to outstrip what the planet could provide.

Humans now need the equivalent of 1.5 planets to sustain us, and by mid century it will have risen to two planets, the campaigners said.

China has the biggest total ecological footprint, because of its large population, but other countries have much higher demands on resources per person. If everyone were to live like U.S. residents we would need four planets to supply demand, the report said.

Andrew Simms who is a climate economist at Global Witness, stated that the UK consumes and produces waste at a rate three and a half times greater than we can sustain, and today humanity has already exhausted what the planet's ecosystems can provide in a year.

'We're in the red and gambling with ecological bankruptcy, as the fracking debate shows. If it chose to, the Government can always print more money, but it can't print more planet. Ecological overshoot should lead the political agenda.'

After reading this, I have many questions. What exactly does this mean for us? How the heck can we in global unity correct this or reduce our consumption, or is it even possible with the rate of our technological growth, rising population and complete depletion of certain resources?

I just don't understand how people aren't considering the future of our land, how their grand children will suffer because of our selfishness and mass consumption. I also don't understand why this isn't raising more flags; why don't we consider HEMP as a resource as science has proven it's many many uses and less negative impact on the environment. Do people just expect that by the time everything is depleted that we will go on to populate another planet and start our engines right back up again?

I cant help but think that if we really have used up all our resources then there would be chaos and pandemonium in the streets. Rioting looting and pillaging on a massive scale that has never before been seen.

Its a scary thought that one day it may come to that, but today is not the day.

reply to post by shaneslaughta


What the article means is simply that we use more than is renewed by nature in a year. There are are only so many fish (fewer safe to eat since Fuku) and so many trees, so much water etc etc. When you use more than nature can replace you end up with Earth Overshoot Day.

Been the reality for a while. Personally Humanity has much larger problem that will affect us much sooner.

I think last year it was mid September that we reached this point. Its kinda scary when you think about it, how wasteful and careless as a species we are. On a side note, another recent study I read said in 4 generations (or something like that) there won't be enough people to breed. Most families that have kids have 1, so it takes two to make 1, then the next generation has 1 or less kids, cutting it down more. It was pretty fascinating but disturbing stuff.

When there is money to be made, who cares.
As long as there is something left, the corporations will take it.

Getting down to the regular people, I am filling in doing janitorial work for a man on vacation and I wonder why people throw out recyclable pop cans when there is a bin just for pop cans RIGHT NEXT to the garbage bin. Same deal with paper and cardboard, recycle bin next to garbage and paper and cardboard is in the trash.

People are ignorant, they don't care!

My girlfriend buys stuff, doesn't use it, then throws it away next week.
I joke an say, 'I see you went and bought garbage bag fillers'.

Conservation is not an issue for most people at all.

Frustration is a result of caring, why do I care when most others don't?
Would be easier to just not give a turd.
But I still have turds to give. (that don't make sense? But neither does the human race.)

Lol the daily fails does it again with another crazy story

reply to post by PhoenixOD


Typical, anyone who cares about this stuff is crazy.
No hope for us.

reply to post by tnhiker

On a side note, another recent study I read said in 4 generations (or something like that) there won't be enough people to breed. Most families that have kids have 1, so it takes two to make 1, then the next generation has 1 or less kids, cutting it down more. It was pretty fascinating but disturbing stuff.

I don't think that would happen that quickly, because everyone on the planet would have to only have 1, or zero children.
That said, we'd use up a lot less resources.

If Earth is a living being....we're in trouble, DEEP. We've shown total neglect to our planet; and when the time comes, she will repay us! She's gonna take back all her wood, metals, precious metals and everything she's ever provided for us, without mercy. Mankind is like an infestation of fleas, on her back. Go ahead, say it ain't so.

reply to post by RooskiZombi


You ask if the problem could be fixed 'with global unity'?

GLOBAL UNITY!???

I guess we will be eventually forced into a situation where we have to make changes.......or perish. In the meantime the few of us who give a damn better keep on nagging those around us to remember to recycle, and it does feel like nagging at times!

reply to post by Psychoparrot


I know hey, does kind of seem like a joke..
*sigh*

and Toadmund, I'm glad you still have turds to give! I completely feel your pain. I used to be like your girlfriend too, just spending on useless items that end up trash the next week or two anyways or down the road. We've been conditioned to believe that spending money will make us happy, and hey, maybe it does/did/doesn't but either way, until people stop seeing with eyes of greed, the earth will know no peace (or at least in the environmental sense of things)

Within a few years at the present rate, food will become much more expensive. We are stripping the nutrients out of the fields. The corn gas was one of the stupidest things we incorporated, it is destroying the soils. Our kids will need food and water, Corn is a hog.

reply to post by rickymouse



I'm surprised at how many more community gardens that have been popping up across my city. I've learned how to grow organically and it's been very rewarding. I think a lot of people can sense something like this is coming, hasn't it been news for a while that our food/water supply is running low? I read somewhere that even the meat industry isnt going to have enough resources in the coming years without skyrocketing prices.

Originally posted by RooskiZombi
reply to post by rickymouse

 

I'm surprised at how many more community gardens that have been popping up across my city. I've learned how to grow organically and it's been very rewarding. I think a lot of people can sense something like this is coming, hasn't it been news for a while that our food/water supply is running low? I read somewhere that even the meat industry isnt going to have enough resources in the coming years without skyrocketing prices.

It is not as if we haven't been warned about what is coming up. The government has made quite a few statements. People do not pay attention though, they don't believe that the easy life we have had over the last twenty years can end. Things can happen causing great change for the worse, it won't be permanent but could last a year or so. I am glad we have a strong government, I just wish they weren't so far in debt.

It is impossible to use up the resources. Nothing leaves here, it just changes forms, eventually it is recycled through subduction and volcanic processes, death/decay, climate, etc.. It is all renewable, one way or another..

reply to post by RooskiZombi


I think as individuals, we can all see and wave our arms in the air and shout "we need to stop what we are doing and do it differently" but unfortuantely that can not happen, first we need a unified agreement by the whole population of the people on this planet at this time, and that is the "whole population" regardless of creed or race, and as you know that is not likely to happen anytime soon..... and in many peoples opinions it is something that will never happen. and so with that goes our only hope to try and rectify or at least slow the pace of our destruction of a whole planet all by ourselves, yes ourselves clever little mankind. the worse plague the universe has ever known!!! The story of planet earth is no love story....

Good grief, now we are making up positions to make people relevant then they spew things they can't possibly even

fathom. WTH is a climate economist? Sounds like he is Keynesian too. What is all this based on? A computer model

with many many errors i bet. if you truly believe this garbage then do the rest of us a favor and stop breathing. After

all your oxygen allowance is out.

'The maths is simple - the UK consumes and produces waste at a rate three and a half times greater than we can sustain, and today humanity has already exhausted what the planet's ecosystems can provide in a year.

He said it all right there "The maths is simple"....seems it should be followed by a "ahyuck".

Originally posted by Iamschist
It is impossible to use up the resources. Nothing leaves here, it just changes forms, eventually it is recycled through subduction and volcanic processes, death/decay, climate, etc.. It is all renewable, one way or another..

We're talking millions of years here.
What I foresee is you humans will be mining your landfills for metals and plastics, maybe even chemicals, re-use or destroy by some molecular disintegrator humans may invent some day.

(Unless there is an earth shattering ka-boom.)

Originally posted by Toadmund

Originally posted by Iamschist
It is impossible to use up the resources. Nothing leaves here, it just changes forms, eventually it is recycled through subduction and volcanic processes, death/decay, climate, etc.. It is all renewable, one way or another..

We're talking millions of years here.
What I foresee is you humans will be mining your landfills for metals and plastics, maybe even chemicals, re-use or destroy by some molecular disintegrator humans may invent some day.

(Unless there is an earth shattering ka-boom.)

Whatever works Must be hard for nonhumans to type with paws, peck, hunt, peck.

I think these The Global Footprint Network alarmists are full of Crap.

We do have tons of resources. In 1961 we didn't have the technology to determine how many resources we were using. We don't even really know that NOW but have a much better idea than then. These people are paid alarmists pushing an AGENDA. If they can make people believe this Crap they can corral us into thinking about becoming slaves to their control.

We have more water, fish, land, trees, food etc than we know what to do with - just take a look around google earth and you'll see how much we don't use. This planet is mind blowingly huge. We have only scratched the surface of the planet with exploration not to mention we know far more about Space (that knowledge fits in a micro sized thimble) than we know about earths oceans and other undiscovered resources.

The problem is not that we dont have the resources, but the world governments unwillingness to manage those resources correctly.

We have the land, food and water for 10 times the Earths current population - if they would only use it correctly. They wont do that because they would lose local control over the people they wish to keep in thrall.