The date has held steady for the last decade but more needs to be done to protect our planet.
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00:00August 2nd marks Earth Overshoot Day. It's the date in any given year on which humanity
00:05has used up its annual allowance of vital natural resources like water. Since the 1970s,
00:11the trend has seen this day arrive earlier each year. It means humanity's demand on ecological
00:17resources exceeds what the Earth can regenerate. The foundation behind the concept measures
00:22the rate at which crops, livestock, fish and forest products are being depleted.
00:26We mark a number of days in the year, Christmas, national holidays, etc. Probably the most
00:34meaningful one is Earth Overshoot Day because it reflects a reality. It's not just an artificial
00:41day so we can calculate how much can be regenerated in a given country and then add it up to the
00:47world. We can also calculate it on the consumption side. We can look at how much is being consumed
00:53in each country.
00:55To reverse the trend, campaigners say humanity needs to phase out fossil fuels as a starting
01:00point. And the responsibility lies not just with governments. The Global Footprint Network
01:07says with 7 billion people on the planet, we can all help by reducing our individual
01:12consumption of precious resources.