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Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Overshoot day.

This year August 20th marks the "approximate calendar date on which humanity’s resource consumption for the year exceeds Earth’s capacity to regenerate those resources that year." (source) This date keeps moving in the wrong direction...this date shouldn't exist but since it does it should be much closer to the end of the year...like December 31st or something. For instance, in 1993 it was October 21st...now it is in August.

In other words there are either too many human animals on the planet or the human animals here are using up too much of the Earth to support their lives. In fact, there are too many of us and we "consume" way too much.

For instance, the current estimate is that it would take 1.5 Earths to support us...on a renewable basis if we averaged using the Earth the way we do now. That's for all of us, it gets really stinky if you look at in on a country by country basis. For instance, if everyone lived the way we do here in the United States, we would need 5 Earths to support us. You can explore the ecological footprint for most countries here.

Here's my thought. Advocate for our fellow Earthlings but don't forget that advocating for them also means that there needs to be fewer of us human animals. Consider incorporating the handing out of endangered species condoms in your advocacy efforts. Two things to remember, the fewer there are of us...the fewer there are to harm our fellow Earthlings...and the fewer there are of us the more of what Earth has to offer is potentially available for the other Earthlings.

Overshoot day. Scarey stuff, do your part to push back by living vegan and by avoiding adding to the number of humanoids. 

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Keep this message going, v.e.!

Have Gone Vegan said...

Scary indeed. I pledge not to add more humans. It's the least I can do! ;)

Bea Elliott said...

I'm looking at the stats showing Ecological Debt Day has been in the negative since 1987. Every year we lose more resource years. Yet something quirky happened in 2011 - The loss wasn't as bad. Whatever it was we need a yearly repeat for 3 decades to come.

Regardless, your message couldn't be more urgent. Sadly the informed ones are the ones who'd be responsible parents/consumers... But the ones who pay no mind are the ones having a passel of spawns. Oooops! --- Did I say that? My bad. :/

The endangered species condoms idea is a great one. Less is better. Thank you!

veganelder said...

Thank you for commenting DEM, HGV and Bea. It's nice that you each have 3 letter acronyms or names. :-)

DEM: Yes yes yes.

HGV: The planet and her beings appreciate your efforts. :-)

Bea: The situation is sort of a catch-22 in some ways, isn't it? The endangered species condoms are clever indeed, I agree. :-)