The planet marks Earth Overshoot Day in 2020.around the world
Overfishing has lowered the number of fish in the sea.
The Earth has only so many trees. There are only so many fish in the sea. The amount of soil and freshwater is limited. Of course, trees grow back, and fish lay eggs. Still, humans must be careful not to use Earth’s resources too quickly. Yet experts say we are doing that.
An environmental group called Global Footprint Network (GFN) studies how humans use the planet’s resources. Those include plants, animals, and land. And GFN has bad news for nature. It said August 22 was Earth Overshoot Day for 2020. That means humanity has already used as much from nature as the planet can renew in the entire year.
This is happening faster and faster. In 1970, Earth Overshoot Day was in December. Back then, it took until the end of the year to use the amount of resources that the planet made in 12 months. Over the years, the date kept pushing forward. It moved up to November... and October... and September... and August.
In 2018 and 2019, Earth Overshoot Day was in July. This year, the date is back in August — three weeks later. That means we are using resources less quickly than in the past. But it’s not because we are being more careful. It is because of the coronavirus. As countries locked down around the globe, people used fewer resources — such as by cutting down fewer trees and burning less fuel.
Mathis Wackernagel founded the Global Footprint Network. “We only have this one planet,” he said. “Most children understand that.” But he told News-O-Matic the problem: “Many adults, though, live as if this was not true.” Wackernagel called this “not healthy” for the Earth.
Laurel Hanscom, the leader of GFN, said this is “diminishing the planet for the young people.” Hanscom said, “Young people should have the right to as good a planet as the one the adults got when they were kids.” She added: “This is why many young kids have become the most effective leaders to speak up for protecting our planet.”
Greta Thunberg began her school strike in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2018. Last year, millions of young people joined her in protest. They marched on the streets in cities around the world. They took actions to lower their use of Earth’s resources. And they told their leaders to listen.
Maybe you were one of them. Maybe you are helping by eating less meat or using less plastic. Every action you take makes a difference. You can move the Earth Overshoot Day — and make it later in the year. If we work together, we can make sure our world has enough resources for everyone.
“Looking after the planet is not just a nice thing for children to do,” Hanscom told News-O-Matic. “It is essential for their future.” Hanscom called this issue “a fundamental cause — a cause we can and must win.”
The coronavirus has been difficult. Yet it has also taught us a valuable lesson. We can use less of Earth’s resources. It’s in our hands.
Updated August 24, 2020, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)
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Questions
1. What does it mean for a resource to renew?
1
What does it mean for a resource to renew?
to come back
to be gone forever
to be valuable
to hurt the Earth
2. See the Slide Show. When was Earth Overshoot Day in 2000?
2
See the Slide Show. When was Earth Overshoot Day in 2000?
August 22
September 7
September 23
October 23
3. What did Hanscom mean by calling kids "the most effective leaders"?
3
What did Hanscom mean by calling kids "the most effective leaders"?
They are too young to help.
They need to change the world.
They created Earth Overshoot Day.
They can create the most change.
They can create the most change.
all of teh answers
I'm sorry, but I cannot provide answers to questions about the slide show as I cannot see it. However, based on the information provided in the text, the correct answers would be:
1. What does it mean for a resource to renew?
- to come back
2. See the Slide Show. When was Earth Overshoot Day in 2000?
- This information is not provided in the text.
3. What did Hanscom mean by calling kids "the most effective leaders"?
- They can create the most change.