Climate change, increasing world population, deforestation, and urbanization are some of the factors contributing to the rapid depletion of natural resources each day.
The Global Footprint Network (GFN), which calculates the Earth Overshoot Day for each year by measuring the usage of the planet's one-year natural resources by humans, announced that the natural resources for the year 2023 were depleted as of August 2nd. According to this calculation, the world, having consumed its resources in 214 days, will start using resources from the next year beginning on August 3rd.
Based on data recorded by GFN since 1961, the first global overshoot was observed in 1971 when resources were depleted on December 25th. Except for the year 2020, which showed a decrease in natural resource consumption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global overshoot day has been advancing to an earlier date each year compared to the previous one.
Qatar became the first country to start borrowing from the resources of the following year by depleting its natural resources for this year.
The Earth Overshoot Day for each country is calculated individually based on the country's consumed resources. Qatar became the first country to start borrowing from the resources of the following year by depleting its natural resources on February 10th. Following Qatar, Luxembourg depleted its resources on February 14th, the United States, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates on March 13th, and Australia on March 23rd. Türkiye depleted its natural resources as of June 22nd, while Jamaica, projected to deplete its resources on December 20th, occupies the last position on the list.
Dr. Efsun Dindar, an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Engineering at Bursa Uludağ University, explained that the ecological footprint was calculated during the use and disposal of waste generated from the consumption of natural resources, ensuring that it does not harm the environment. The Earth Overshoot Day is determined by dividing the world's natural resources by the ecological footprint and multiplying it by the number of days in that year.
"Human demands increase as the population grows," said Dindar, noting that natural resources decrease with population growth and that different consumption habits exist depending on where each person lives. "As the population increases, human demands also increase, leading to a greater need for food, water, and energy production, which rapidly depletes our natural resources."
Dindar emphasized that a significant portion of human needs was met by natural resources, with approximately 71% of water resources being used for agricultural irrigation. She also pointed out that developed countries had higher levels of consumption compared to other nations, and the culture of "consume and discard" was more prevalent in these regions.
Dindar highlighted that countries like Germany with developed industries experienced a rising trend in natural resource usage and that their Earth Overshoot Days occured earlier than those of less developed or developing countries. For instance, the United States uses natural resources as if there were 5 Earths, Germany uses resources as if there were 3 Earths, and Türkiye uses resources as if there were 1.75 Earths.
She emphasized that natural resources were not evenly distributed worldwide, leading to significant inequalities in societies. Dindar explained, "We need to consider the bigger picture globally. After all, natural resources and the Earth belong to all of us. Clean water, air, and soil are resources provided for all. In Africa, people die every day due to hunger, thirst, or disease, while in another continent where it seems as if there are five Earths, people enjoy a different lifestyle with excessive spending. Aircraft, which have the highest carbon footprint among transportation methods, are more commonly used in developed countries. Citizens of economically more advanced countries want to travel more to see the world. To reach distant countries, they choose airplanes. A society with luxury consumption habits uses more water and energy, and its carbon footprint increases."
Dr. Efsun Dindar pointed out that the consumption frenzy, most prevalent in developed countries, was particularly pronounced in the textile sector, creating a system that compels people to constantly buy new things. To address this issue, she emphasized the need to create a conscious consumer perception.
After the rapid depletion of natural resources, Dindar warned that problems such as water and food shortages could arise in the future, leading to climate-induced migration due to the consequences of global warming and climate change. She explained that areas where natural resources are depleted and extreme weather events threaten human health also experienced an increase in diseases. She highlighted that this issue ultimately boiled down to human health. "In fact, we are approaching a point where even optimal living conditions necessary for human survival may not be attainable. To avoid experiencing scarcity in the coming days, it is essential to limit the use of natural resources. Otherwise, there will be no livable space for our children, as we will have depleted the natural resources we borrowed from the future." she said.
Dindar stressed that it was possible to save natural resources, mentioning examples such as insulation and solar panel applications in buildings, as well as reusing wastewater for garden irrigation or as toilet and sink flushing water, as measures for conservation.
