An entire year of human resources consumed in a shocking 9 months

Discover how humans consumed the entire 2015 resources in a span of 9 months

Nine months was all that was needed to consume an entire year of human resources. The year 2015 is far from being over and yet a year worth of natural resources have been consumed since January 1, according to reports.

MUNTINLUPA CITY, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - According to the Global Footprint Network, we have already managed to consume a year worth of natural resources in a span of nine months since January 1, 2015.

To estimate the exact day, coined as the Earth Overshoot Day, the number of biologically productive acres across the globe where estimated by researchers. These lands are the areas that usually receive the most damage from humans. These damages include greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, as well as other damaging chemical reactions. The number of acres of land needed to make up for the damaging actions is later estimated to arrive with the Earth Overshoot Day. This happens when human demand is bigger than what the planet is capable of absorbing.

For 2015, the Earth Overshoot Day occurred six days earlier than in 2014. According to the Global Footprint Network, human will require 1.6 more of planet Earth to support the current lifestyle.

"We look at all the resource demands of humanity that compete for space, like food, fiber, timber, etcetera, then we look at home much area is needed to provide those services and how much productive surface is available." Mathis Wackernagel, President of the Global Footprint Network said in an interview with the National Geographic.

One of the most common perpetrators of climate change is carbon emissions. This also represents the largest contributor to the human ecological footprint.

As the global carbon emissions continue to grow, forest deforestation continues. Human continue to destroy natural resources that absorb carbon. The efforts to halt climate change is a topic in the upcoming United Nations conference, to be held later this year.

The Earth Overshoot Day may not be precise, but a close to reality estimate. Still the data continues to exhibit the demands of today exceed the sustainable level nature can provide.

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