Once again, as we have for the previous 47 consecutive years, the cumulative, collective and continuous wants of Humanity have exceeded the capacity and capability of the our planet to meet thosedemands. ⁽¹⁾And this year we did it in record time.

Humanity is acting as if we have access to the biological capacity of 1.7 Earths. ⁽²⁾  Clearly we do not.  When we assume that we can use 20.4 months of resources in a 12-month year, we are acting to our detriment. The only way we can overcome the shortfall that we have created is by increasing pollution and/or reducing the capability of the planet’s biocapacity to meet future demands. After all, the overshoot is created by our overharvesting of the sea, the land, and the forests as well as compromising the quality of the air and water upon which life depends.

         We get so much from the planet and there needs to be reciprocity.  We need to give a little back to the earth.                                                           Tracie Troxler ⁽³⁾

Overshoot has become our de facto modis operandi.  It cannot continue to be our legacy if we wish to have a legacy.  Cultures, civilizations collapse and species disappear when they do not, or cannot, change their lifeways to stay in ecological balance with biocapacity of their homeland.

Overshoot is a bad habit that we must break.  And I know that nothing is harder than breaking a bad habit that we enjoy. Consuming resources while assuming that we have no responsibility relative to the negative impacts of those actions is the great illusion (delusion) of our day.

Do we really, truly believe that we are that disconnected from the planet on which we live?

Do we really, truly believe that we are not creative enough to find more effective and efficient ways to live so that we reduce pollution and waste?

Do we really, truly believe that our purpose as a species is to ignore “the better angels of our nature.”⁽⁴⁾

We have spent 48 years putting ourselves at increasing risk.

No matter how far you have gone on the wrong road,                                      turn back.                                                                                                                       Turkish Proverb ⁽⁵⁾

 There is a #move the date ⁽⁶⁾campaign because that is what we have to do.  We are on the wrong road, and we have to move the date back.  Like most habits one tries to break, this one will be slow at the start, there will be slips and slides, but as the concept and desire for change takes hold, the process will pick up speed and be successful.

Don’t be encumbered by history,                                                                              Just go out and do something wonderful.                                                        Robert Noyce ⁽⁷⁾

 

Tim                                                                                                                                                 1 August 2018

 

 

References

 

1. https://www.overshootday.org/newsroom/past-earth-overshoot-days/
2. https://www.footprintnetwork.org/
3. Edible Sarasota, Spring 2018. Page 12 “Feeding the soil: sunshine community compost.” Words Nicole Carbon. Photos Kathryn Brass-Piper             Sunshinecommunitycompost.org

4.http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/1inaug.htm

5. https://www.google.com/search?q=No+matter+how+far+you+have+gone+on+the+wrong+road,+turn+back.&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=hjk7-sWAj-z2rM%3A%2C4x9zL0PYAljQsM%2C_&usg=AFrqEzfclXc4VMRLej9Gi8z8X3iw0GRMJQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj_p4uZzszcAhWkxVkKHVEcB6IQ9QEwBHoECAYQDA – imgrc=UiZC7TnO1oL-hM:
6. https://www.overshootday.org/
7. https://www.azquotes.com/quote/723182