In an ironic twist in 2018, as Malcolm backed down on his commitment to enshrining emissions reductions targets in law, the latest Earth Overshoot Day stats were released and we've managed to literally eat another 5 days since 2015. What is Earth Overshoot Day? To quote the architects: "The date of Earth Overshoot Day is calculated by comparing humanity’s total yearly consumption (Ecological Footprint) with Earth’s capacity to regenerate renewable natural resources in that year (biocapacity)." We now need 1.7 earths in a year to regenerate or in other words, we're eating ourselves faster than ever and it has been a compounding thing that we've been doing since just before 1970. See graph below from Global Footprint Network National Footprint Accounts that spells it out fairly clearly.Just like Malcolm, even as many of us keep hoping he'll still become the man he promised us all he was when we elected him, it's looking increasingly like we better be looking elsewhere for a champion. And one that isn't going to come from any political party - as even the fiercest political climate change supporters seem to fall like a nine pin when asked to stand up to the wrecking ball of special interest groups. It turns out that Malcolm would serve us all better by taking his millions and returning to corporate life, where he would have more influence, without pandering to whichever power or pocket liner is weaselling about the corridors of Canberra this week. Driven by millennials and their push for corporate responsibility, corporates are increasingly using their influence to advocate and participate in solutions around issues such as climate change, education, poverty, and equal and human rights.The good news emanating from the failure of politicians to lead is that corporates are beholden to where their next dollar is coming from and it's coming from consumers who care about having somewhere to live. So while even our most promising politicians dilly dally, Malcolm, corporates are setting the pace, communities are building infrastructure, consumer advocates are setting new standards and movements are growing - hour by hour, day by day. The absence of leadership leaves a vacuum, which is this case, seems to be a bottomless vessel, being systematically filled by consumers with everything to gain and nothing to lose - setting their own regulations, upholding their own commitments to sustainability and taking the fight to our workplaces and our streets and the forefront of global progress like never before.There is a literal smorgasbord of opportunities for everyday consumers to make a difference while improving the quality of our own lives as well. You can literally be an activist, an advocate and an educator just by living well.
That is a really really good point. Depressing. But true. Saturday, 25 August 2018
Australia's earth overshoot day is closer to March 24th. This article is about the whole planet's overshoot day, which I think is a little misleading as we consume more in Australia than in many other countries. Thursday, 23 August 2018