Earth Overshoot Day 2018 is the earliest ever

Today is Earth Overshoot Day, which, as  Accuweather reported this past June, is the earliest ever.

Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when all of humanity has used more from nature than the planet can renew in the entire year, according to the Global Footprint Network.

For a more thorough and hopeful version, I'm sharing this year's contribution from Sustainability Illustrated: Earth Overshoot Day 2018 falls on August 1st.

Happy Earth Overshoot Day! There is nothing happy about it really. This year Earth Overshoot Day falls on August 1, the earliest day ever! Never heard of Earth Overshoot Day? Or the Ecological Footprint? This video explains it briefly with illustrations.

I calculated my environmental impact at Global Footprint Network and found out that if everyone followed my lifestyle, humanity would need 3.8 planets and that my personal Earth Overshoot Day would be April 5th.  Eep!  That's the bad news.

The good news is that I'm less of a resource hog and waste producer than the average American, whose lifestyle would require 5.0 planets to sustain it if all 7.6 billion of us followed it.  I require 6.6 global hectares to support me, while the average American requires 8.22.  Unfortunately, my share is 1.7.  Also, my carbon footprint is 49% of my total, while the average from the second video is 60%.  Since my mobility demands only 1 global hectare, it appears that driving Pearl the Prius does help, as does living close to work.  The biggest issue is my diet, which requires two global hectares.  I guess I'll have to cut back on my meat consumption.  Time to eat more eggs, nuts, and diary to comply with the carbohydrate-restricted diet required by my diabetes while still reducing my footprint.

I could still have a comfortable life if I lived like the average German, who has a smaller, if still too large, footprint of 3.2 planets.  I'll work to get there first, then see about reducing my impact even more.  Wish me luck in my attempt to #movethedate.