For the year 2022, mankind has already depleted its resources.

Earth has reached a significant turning point: Humanity has made it to ‘Earth Overshoot Day’ this year. Or is it appropriate to congratulate someone?

The significance of this milestone is questionable. This dubious milestone, which denotes that humanity has consumed all that the Earth can sustainably produce, was announced by NGOs on Thursday. Any resource we consume going forward will be over and beyond the planet’s ‘tipping point.

‘People have consumed everything that ecosystems can restore in one year,’ according to an AFP article citing WWF and the Global Footprint Network.

‘From January 1 to July 28, humanity has used as much from nature as the planet can renew in the entire year. That’s why July 28 is Earth Overshoot Day,’ explained Mathis Wackernagel, president of the Global Footprint Network.

According to the Global Footprint Network, Earth Overshoot Day has gotten closer and closer over the past 50 years.

The weight is not borne equally by everybody. Wackernagel asserted that the date would have come even sooner, on March 13, if everyone had lived like Americans.

He also said ‘Since the Earth has a large supply, we can utilise it excessively for a while but not indefinitely. Similar to how we might spend more than we make for a while before going bankrupt.’

The food processing system is criticised by the two NGOs for having a ‘considerable’ environmental impact.
As per them, 55 per cent of the planet’s biocapacity goes towards feeding mankind. A large part of that (63 per cent in EU) is used up to rear and feed animals that are used for meat.

The fact that one-third of the food produced globally is wasted is much worse.

The NGOs advise developed countries to consume less beef. The date of the overshoot might be postponed by 17 days if meat consumption were cut in half, according to Laetitia Mailhes of the Global Footprint Network.