The day we overdrew the Earth
hace 7 year
Every day we use renewable and non-renewable resources from nature. Renewable resources, such as sunlight and wind, are perpetual resources, while non-renewable resources are those that do not regenerate naturally at the rate of extraction and consumption and are therefore in danger of being depleted over time.
The Earth Overshoot Day, or Ecological Overshoot Day, shows us the day of the year on which we consume the total resources that nature gives us for a full year. This means that from that moment on, we start consuming resources «borrowed» from the following year, or in other words, from future generations. At the beginning of the year 2000, this day was September 23; currently it is August 1.
According to the UN, there are 7.6 billion people living in the world today and it is projected that by 2050 there will be around 8.9 billion people. This will translate into a increasing pressure on our planet and its ability to sustain our rate of consumption and growth.
Sea of Plastic
A new study prepared by the World Economic Forum and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that, if there is no change in our rate of plastics production and consumption, by the end of the year, we will 2050 the amount of plastic will equal or exceed the amount of fish in the sea by weight. It further states that by then, global plastic manufacturing would account for 20% of total oil production.
Plastic is derived from petroleum, a valuable non-renewable natural resource that is key to our current economic model. This model is based on a linear economy which is characterized by a extraction of non-renewable resources, an excessive use of non-renewable production y consumption unconscious and an unsustainable generation of garbage. Currently, the development model in which we live discharges into the oceans some 8 million tons of plastics each year, the equivalent of one truckload of garbage dumped into the oceans every minute (EMF, 2016).
In order to reverse this process, it is necessary to change the paradigm of the world economy by a restorative and regenerative system on principle, to keep the products, components and materials in their original condition. highest level of utility and value. A system that provides a continuous cycle is required. of positive development, which eliminates waste from the outset of the value chain and that, in addition, it is able to adapt to any scale effectively. The circular economy addresses this and is supported by a transition to renewable energy sources that alleviate the pressure exerted today on nature's resources.
As William McDonough, American architect and designer, creator of the “Cradle-to-Cradle” concept that gave impetus to the concept of the Circular Economy, says, “design is a statement of intent”. If we are able to redesign our products and consumption patterns, we will undoubtedly have a tremendously positive impact on our planet, as we will stop generating tons of unnecessary waste and borrowing tons of resources from the next generations.
Earth Overshoot Day sparks a conversation about the planet's maximum capacity to sustain us on it and encourages all actors and sectors to adopt a lifestyle of respectful production and consumption and a sustainable development model over time.
Collaboration by @TriCiclos Peru for @Libelula
TriCiclos is a certified Applied Circular Economy B-company based in Chile, Brazil, Peru and Colombia. For more information please refer to www.triciclos.net or [email protected]
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