The Day the Earth Ran Out

Earth’s natural resources, whether water or precious metals, are limited. Global Footprint Network calculates the day each year when demand for resources exceeds the ability to renew them in one year. “Earth Overshoot Day is an approximation, but it is yet one more sign that humanity is consuming the planet’s finite resources at an unsustainable rate,” reports Carter Roberts, World Wildlife Fund president. “In 2013, humanity requires the equivalent of approximately 1.5 earths to produce the goods and services our lifestyles demand in one year and to absorb the attendant … greenhouse gases.” Based on the UN’s projected population growth and consumption patterns, inhabitants may need two Earths by 2050. “In all, more than 80 percent of the world’s population lives in countries that use more than their own ecosystems can renew,” he writes. World Wildlife Fund is negotiating agreements with corporations on sustainability risks. Sustainability is good for global public relations, and Roberts urges consumers to demand sustainability before “we overspend ourselves out of existence.” – YaleGlobal