If all the inhabitants of the Earth consumed ecological resources like the Spaniards, the planet’s regenerative capacity would be exhausted on May 12, two and a half months earlier than the world average. From that day on, the natural resources allocated to 2023 are used in Spain, that is, if the entire world population lived like the Spaniards, more than two Earths would be needed to compensate for the natural resources consumed in a year. The problem is, there is only one Earth.
Of course, there are countries where their inhabitants consume much more resources than the Spaniards. For example, those in Luxembourg, Canada, the United States, Australia, Belgium, Denmark or South Korea, among others.
In contrast, countries such as Indonesia, Cuba, Egypt, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina or Turkey consume much less per capita resources than in Spain.
As always, the countries that cause the least footprints on the planet, but suffer more heavily from the effects caused by the countries that cause the most impact on Earth.
The world is finite; You also have resources. But man lives as if the planet is inexhaustible and his assets are unlimited. The Global Footprint Network, an international research organization, has been calculating for decades when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services has been greater than what the Earth can reproduce each year. If this date in the early seventies, known as Overshoot Day or Ecological Open Day, was at the end of December, it came much earlier this year: July 28.
Human beings use ecological resources as if they live on 1.75 Earth. Consumption of natural resources, waste accumulation and emissions of greenhouse gases far exceed the world’s biological regeneration capacity.
The “ecological footprint,” the only measure that compares the demand for resources with the Earth’s biological regenerative capacity, has been growing unstoppably over the past half century.
To date each year, the Global Footprint calculates the number of days in that year when Earth’s biological capacity is sufficient to provide humanity’s ecological footprint. The remainder of the year corresponds to global ecological excesses or deficits.
The Ecological Open Day is calculated using a mathematical formula: divide the planet’s biocapacity (the amount of ecological resources Earth can produce that year) by humanity’s ecological footprint (human demand for that year) and multiply by 365.
But what exactly is the biocapacity of a city or nation? Biologically productive land and marine area, including forest land, grazing land, cultivated land, fishing land, and settled land.
The ecological footprint measures the demand of a given population for plant-derived food and fiber products, animal and fish products, wood and other forest products, space for urban infrastructure, and forests to absorb carbon dioxide emissions. fossil fuels.
A region with an ecological deficit meets demand by importing its own ecological assets (such as overfishing), liquidating it, and/or releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. At the global level, ecological deficit and excess are the same as there is no net import of resources to the planet.
If half a century ago human consumption of natural resources was practically balanced by the Earth’s regenerative capacity, in 1987 this was exceeded at the end of November; ten years later, at the beginning of October; In 2004 it was already close to August, and in recent years it has reached July.
The World’s Ecological Open Day was set on July 29 last year. Twenty-four hours have been advanced this year, implying that man has failed to make significant changes to counter the destruction of resources, increase in pollution and environmental destruction.
If all humanity had exhausted natural resources like in Jamaica, World Ecological Open Day would not arrive until December 20. On the contrary, the consumption recorded in Qatar, which is transferred to the entire planet, will cause that date to arrive on February 10.
Despite the bad data – it gets worse every year – Global Footprint and WWF felt there was room for improvement, sending a message of hope: consume less and consume better. But they remind us that the greatest potential at scale to improve the human ecological footprint lies in governments and companies.
Spain exhausted its resources on 12 May
If all the inhabitants of the Earth consumed ecological resources like the Spaniards, the planet’s regenerative capacity would be exhausted on May 12, two and a half months earlier than the world average. From that day on, the natural resources allocated to 2023 are used in Spain, that is, if the entire world population lived like the Spaniards, more than two Earths would be needed to compensate for the natural resources consumed in a year. The problem is, there is only one Earth.
Of course, there are countries where their inhabitants consume much more resources than the Spaniards. For example, those in Luxembourg, Canada, the United States, Australia, Belgium, Denmark or South Korea, among others.
In contrast, countries such as Indonesia, Cuba, Egypt, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina or Turkey consume much less per capita resources than in Spain.
As always, the countries that cause the least footprints on the planet, but suffer more heavily from the effects caused by the countries that cause the most impact on Earth.