NASA/NOAA

Turn off everything, stop eating and stop building -- on August 13 humanity used up nature's biocapacity budget for the entire year. According to estimates, yesterday was Earth Overshoot Day, the day when humanity's consumption overtakes Earth's ability to generate resources for that year.

The day, which has been measured since the 1970s, has moved from early October in 2000 to 13 August this year, with our ecological overspend being driven by deforestation, fresh-water scarcity, soil erosion, biodiversity loss and -- more than anything -- global warming. "Humanity’s carbon footprint alone more than doubled since the early 1970s, when the world went into ecological overshoot," said Mathis Wackernagel, president of the Global Footprint Network and co-creator of the system that calculates Earth's annual budget. "It remains the fastest growing component of the widening gap between the ecological footprint and the planet’s biocapacity."


Humanity’s carbon footprint alone more than doubled since the early 1970s Mathis Wackernagel, president of the Global Footprint Network

If left unchecked, Earth Overshoot Day would occur on 28 June 2030, essentially meaning humanity would need the resources of two Earths to power itself. If carbon emissions were reduced to 30 percent below today's levels by 2030, in keeping with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's recommendation, Earth Overshoot day would fall on 16 September in 2030.

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Global Footprint Network

The figures are calculated by looking at humanity's hunger for resources balanced against what Earth is thought to be able to produce. Food, timber, water and other resources are all taken into account and then balanced against how much area is needed to provide those resources. A final calculation works out how much productive space is available on Earth.


Earth Overshoot Day is the day when humanity falls into the red. In 1970 it took place on 23 December, but it has steadily moved forward ever since. In 1980 it fell on 3 November, in 1990 humanity overshot on 13 October and in 2000 we reached capacity on 4 October. This year is the earliest day yet, with 13 August four days ahead of 2014's previous record.

Going forward, we cannot stress enough the vital importance of reducing the carbon footprint Mathis Wackernagel, president of the Global Footprint Network

The continued strain on Earth's resources highlights the crucial importance of the United Nations Conference of Parties taking place in Paris in December. If humanity can keep global warming within two degrees celsius of pre-Industrial Revolution levels, then Overshoot Day could be kept in check.


"Going forward, we cannot stress enough the vital importance of reducing the carbon footprint, as nations are slated to commit to in Paris," said Wackernagel. "Sustainability requires that everyone live well, within the means of one planet. This can only be achieved by keeping our ecological footprint within our planet’s resource budget.”

The overshoot day of individual countries varies greatly. Densely populated nations with small biocapacities reach their limit much sooner -- Singapore overshot on 2 January, with Barbados following on 15 January.

Large countries with sparse populations and large ecological footprints fair better -- Senegal won't experience its overshoot day until 23 December, a day after Cambodia. The United Kingdom overshot on 30 April, the United States on 14 July and China on 14 May. This doesn't mean that counties such as Singapore are 'bad' and Senegal 'good', but rather shows how a wiser use of resources across all countries would balance things out.