Comparison of the Earth’s biocapacity from 1961 to 2012.
On the 20th, the WWF announced in Grandson, Switzerland, that August 20 of this year is Earth Overshoot Day 2013 (also known as Ecological Overdraft Day or Ecological Debt Day). After this day, humanity has used up the Earth’s total renewable natural resources for 2013. In other words, for the remaining four months of this year, the Earth will enter a state of ecological overshoot, operating under an ecological deficit and overusing natural products and ecosystem services.
According to the WWF, "Earth Overshoot Day" was initiated by the WWF’s partner, the Global Footprint Network. Their calculations show that Earth Overshoot Day in 1993 was October 22, and this year’s date is more than two months earlier than it was 20 years ago.
"Just as a bank statement can track income and expenses, the Global Footprint Network can track humanity’s demand and consumption of natural resources and ecosystem services." Chen Boping, manager of the Ecological Footprint Project at WWF China, described how the Global Footprint Network monitors the total ecological capacity, and the tracked data reveals a very serious situation. Based in the United States, the Global Footprint Network calculated that in nearly eight months of this year, humanity’s demand for renewable resources and carbon dioxide sequestration has exceeded what the Earth can regenerate within the year.
Overshoot Day moves up by one month every 10 years
"In 1993, Earth Overshoot Day was October 22, in 2003 it was September 22, last year it was August 22, and this year it’s August 20." Chen Boping told reporters that according to the development trend over these 20 years, basically every 10 years, Earth Overshoot Day moves up by one month. This year it’s two days earlier than last year, and if this trend continues, the extent to which humanity overdraws from the Earth will deepen increasingly.
Xie Gaodi, deputy director of the Resource Science Center and chief researcher at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said in an interview with our reporter that Earth Overshoot Day is only an estimate, not an absolutely precise date. It is impossible to calculate the exact day when humanity exceeds the ecological budget with 100% accuracy. The date of human ecological overshoot is updated according to revised calculation results, rather than based on humanity’s own ecological progress.
And according to current estimates, data from the Global Footprint Network shows that since 2001, Earth Overshoot Day has moved forward by three days each year. In addition, as the calculation methods of the Global Footprint Network change, the projected dates will continue to be adjusted.
China ranks first in total, but below average per capita
Chen Boping told reporters that in 1961, humanity consumed only about two-thirds of the Earth’s annual renewable resources, with most countries still having an ecological surplus. However, the 2012 Living Planet Report shows that humanity currently consumes the ecological resources of 1.5 Earths annually, and this figure is expected to reach 2 Earths by 2030.
Among them, China’s ecological footprint situation is also not optimistic. Although China’s per capita ecological footprint is lower than the global average and significantly lower than that of Europe and the United States, it is already 2.5 times its own biocapacity, which means we need the natural resources of 2.5 Chinas to meet the demand. At the same time, due to the large population base, China’s total ecological footprint has been the largest in the world since 2004.
Xie Gaodi told reporters that in reality, in terms of daily consumption, the development trend is generally relatively stable. What has grown relatively fast in recent years is the increase in the carbon footprint, which is related to the extensive use of energy by humanity.
Dr. Li Lin, WWF China’s Chief Program Director, pointed out, "China urgently needs to start changing its consumption patterns now, practicing moderate consumption, reducing waste, and choosing resource-efficient products that meet ecological sustainability standards."
Earth Overshoot Day —
This concept was proposed by the Global Footprint Network and the British think tank New Economics Foundation. It serves as an annual indicator of the year in which humanity’s ecological resources begin to be insufficient. Through a rough estimation of the trends in time and resource consumption, Earth Overshoot Day uses a near-scientific method to measure the difference between humanity’s demand (expenditure) for ecological resources and services and the Earth’s ecological capacity (income).
How much are you overdrawing? Find out for yourself
According to calculations by the Global Footprint Network, currently humanity’s demand for renewable ecological resources and services would require 1.5 Earths to be met. Data shows that if development continues in this way, by the middle of this century, two Earths will be needed to meet human demands.
So how is this data calculated? Chen Boping explained that the calculation method for an individual’s ecological footprint takes into account all the biological material consumed by that person in a given year and all the carbon dioxide emissions produced. For these materials and emission needs, it considers the ecological productivity areas such as cropland for growing potatoes or forests sequestering carbon from carbon dioxide emissions. All these materials and wastes are summed up and then converted individually into equivalent amounts of global hectares.
It is reported that on the official WWF website, there is a "Personal Annual Ecological Footprint Calculator." Participants can calculate their personal annual ecological footprint by entering information related to their clothing, food, housing, and transportation according to the calculator’s guidance.
This reporter personally tried out this calculator. After inputting information regarding housing, food, transportation, direct energy, water resources, and waste, the calculated personal ecological footprint for this year was 1.6 global hectares. If everyone in the world chose the same lifestyle and consumption, it would require 0.76 Earths. Throughout the calculation process, the calculator provides real-time guidance on how to achieve a greener lifestyle based on your choices.