(Xinhua)14:01, July 30, 2019
SAN FRANCISCO, July 29 — Human consumption of natural resources surpassed on Monday Earths capacity to regenerate itself in 2019, marking the first time such a date has fallen in July, said a report.
As a result, 1.75 planet Earths would be required to meet humanitys demand for the globes ecosystems, according to the report by Global Footprint Network (GFN), an international sustainability think tank.
We have only got one Earth. This is the ultimately defining context for human existence, says GFN founder Mathis Wackernagel. We cant use 1.75 without destructive consequences.
Every year, the GFN marks the Earth Overshoot Day to shed light on the alarmingly dwindling resources on Earth due to the increase of human activities, which have taken a toll on Earths capacity to replenish itself.
Since 1986 when GFN started keeping the record, the Earth Overshoot Day has come earlier and earlier. The day fell on Oct. 21 in 1993. It came earlier in 2003 on Sept. 22. In 2017, the day landed on Aug. 2.