Today is Earth Overshoot Day

Earth Overshoot Day is the specific date each year when humanity has used up all the ecological resources that the planet can regenerate within that entire year. Calculated by the Global Footprint Network, it marks the point when we theoretically begin to operate in an ecological 'debt' to our planet for the rest of the year.

Earth Overshoot Day is calculated by the Global Footprint Network by comparing the Earth's natural resource budget, known as 'biocapacity', with humanity's demand for those resources, which is called the 'Ecological Footprint'. The day is identified when our collective demand surpasses the planet's annual ability to regenerate those resources.

The main difference is that biocapacity refers to the supply of resources, while the Ecological Footprint refers to the demand for them. The article defines the Earth's 'biocapacity' as its natural resource budget for the year, and the 'Ecological Footprint' as humanity's total demand on that budget.

After Earth Overshoot Day, humanity begins operating in an ecological 'debt' to the planet for the remainder of the year. While production and consumption don't stop, we are theoretically consuming resources faster than they can be replenished, drawing down the natural capital intended for future years.

The main goal is to 'Move the date' of Earth Overshoot Day to later in the year, thereby reducing the time we spend in ecological deficit. This objective aims to create a more sustainable balance between the planet's biocapacity and humanity's Ecological Footprint.