The Ecological Citizen: Confronting human supremacy
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What is Earth overshoot? (A definition)
In 1944, 29 Moose were introduced to St. Matthew Island, by 1963 there were 6000, by 1965 there were 42 and by 1984 none. The Island was good habitat for a few Moose who quickly multiplied to many times the number that the Island could support. Then the population, now unsupportable, crashed, and ultimately died out. Note that when the population diminished to somewhat sensible numbers, the Island's habitat for Moose was unable to recover in time to support the survival of any Moose.
Many people believe that human population dynamics are currently mirroring that of the St. Matthew's Island Moose epidemic. Currently it would take approximately 1.7 Earths to support the rapidly growing human population. The difference is being made up by a drawdown of the Earth: Her animal people and Her plant people.
For 2020, the Covid year, the Earth Overshoot Day was 22 August; it was 29 July the year before. Three or four months of drawdown. This has developed since 1970, and is paralleled by a reduction in life on Earth. For instance, vertebrates have suffered a two-thirds decline in this period. At the same time the human population has more than doubled, from 3.7 billion to 7.8 billion.
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