Shoot! It’s here already!
Today is the Earth Overshoot Day 2019. Simply put, it is a demand over supply. Mankind’s demand over ecological resources surpass that which the earth can generate in a given year. That is to say the more carbon footprints that weighs the earth down, the farther the earth goes in replenishing its resources. The campaign began in 2006 and has thus far been calculating the earth overshoot every year since, with this year’s date coming three days too soon that last year.
While countries around the world are taking measures to push the date back, we as global citizens can do our bit as well to by taking small, yet significant steps. Here are 10 ways in which you and I can help in this drive.
1. Swap driving your car with using public transportation like the metro or bus for longer distances and cycle or walk to shorter distances.
“If we reduce our Footprint from driving by 50% around the world and assume one-third of car miles are replaced by public transportation and the rest by biking and walking, Earth Overshoot Day would move back 11.5 days.”
2. Consumption of less or no meat. Agribusiness is known to be as much a problem if not more so than fossil fuel. Cutting this down can help save the environment, through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
“If we reduced global meat consumption by 50% and replaced these calories through a vegetarian diet, we would move Overshoot Day 15 days (10 days are from (methane emissions).”
3. Grow a garden, if not a forest! Try to nudge your green thumb to grow and maintain a garden – even if you live in an apartment building, or even a vegetable/herb garden. Plant more trees, wherever you can find an open and free space, or even in your backyard.
“Reforesting 350 million hectares of forest would move the date of Overshoot Day by 8 days.”
4. Reduce your electronic dependency. Chargers is an integral part of our lifestyle these days, which is in turn responsible to suck up a lot of energy. Reducing your digital dependency not only helps the environment, but can also give you better sleep at night!
5. Move lanes in fashion – from fast to slow. Cheap fashion, which fuels fast fashion, is the major culprit that eventually ends up in landfills. Materials like synthetic and genetically modified cotton is extremely harmful to both health and earth through their various stages of production and shipping. Check cloth labels and ensure you pick clothing that use organic and natural products.
6. Go ancient. Let the sun dry your clothes and not a dryer. Also, washing machines use up a lot of water in the process, so if there isn’t such a heavy load, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to hand wash your laundry every now and then. Imagine all the calories that this would vapourise too!
7. Use locally-sourced and grown food instead of imported items. This cuts down shipping and also allows you to choose a healthier option with fresh fruits and vegetables.
8. Reduce plastic. Swap plastic with biodegradable options wherever it can be done so. Cloth bags for grocery, steel/copper/glass water bottles, wooden toiletries, cloth diapers, handkerchiefs instead of tissue paper and so on.
9. Less trashy. Have you noticed the amount of waste you throw out? Excess garbage has several harmful effects including air pollution and adverse health effects to man and beast. Ways to lessen waste is to reduce consumption and reuse items/dry trash. For wet waste, composting is a grand idea – and also fodder for your mini garden!
10. Go solar. Switching to a renewable energy option for your power needs such as solar panels will help your environment and your wallet.
“About 14% of global primary energy consumption came from renewable, hydro and nuclear sources in 2016.”
Let's make changes. Let's #MoveTheDate
