[cma-l] Programme discussion topic: Earth Overshoot Day and your ecological footprint

[Cathy Aitchison]

Hi all

If you're looking for a topic for a programme discussion, how about Earth 
Overshoot Day, along with calculating your ecological footprint?

Peg dates:
~ 23rd Sept (last year's Earth Overshoot Day) or counting down till then,
~ 21st-22nd Sept (US + global launch of the film The Age of Stupid)

Background:
Earth Overshoot Day is the day each year when we've used up all the 
resources which the earth can regenerate in a year, putting us into 
ecological deficit.  Last year, it was on 23rd September, 101 days before 
the end of the year.  After all the efforts and publicity about climate 
change and cutting emissions, will it be earlier or later this year?

As of today (11th Sept) 95% of the resources have been used according to the 
Global Footprint Network - see http://www.footprintnetwork.org/overshoot

Earth Overshoot Day uses the concept of finite resources and what happens if 
we use more resources than are there, or use them too quickly.  We've got 
used to the idea of carbon footprints - now take that one step further to 
think about Ecological Footprints, ie calculating how many global hectares 
you need for your current lifestyle.

The Global Footprint Network has published a useful media briefing pack (pdf 
format) at 
http://footprintnetwork.org/press/EcologicalDebtDayMediaBackgrounder.pdf

Online tools:
~ personal ecological footprint calculators eg. at 
http://www.ecologicalfootprint.com (from Best Foot Forward footprint 
analysts/consultants) or http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/ (WWF)
~ footprints of nations - 2008 data tables - follow link to download Excel 
spreadsheet from 
http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/footprint_for_nations/

The UK's ecological footprint is 5.3 (global hectares per person) - compare 
that with
~ 9.4-9.5 (per person) for the USA and the United Arab Emirates and
~ 4.2-4.4 (per person) for Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal.

For more information follow the links above or visit this summary page
http://www.aitchisonmedia.net/ecofootprints_earthovershoot09.htm

Best wishes
Cathy