18: Overshoot? What the Hell Is Overshoot?

U.S. presidential candidate Dave Gardner is determined to alert us that ecological overshoot is a profound emergency threatening to leave our children a dead planet. So it’s critical that everyone understand what ecological overshoot is. William E. Rees, the originator of ecological footprint analysis, provides a primer for the uninitiated – plus some advanced thinking for those already well aware of the metacrisis.We’re exploring the topic now, since Earth Overshoot Day happens this week – on August 1.&nbsp;Rees developed the concept of ecological footprint pre-1990, but in 1995, he and one of his doctoral students at University of British Columbia, Mathis Wackernagel, published the definitive book, Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth, introducing the concept to the world. Wackernagel went on to found Global Footprint Network, which collects and analyzes data to provide the best estimates of biocapacity and ecological footprint on a nation-by-nation basis.The conversation digs into how long we’ve been in overshoot, the symptoms and consequences, and what is necessary in order to get out of overshoot and back into balance with nature. There are significant hurdles impeding our progress.Rees is human ecologist, ecological economist, Professor Emeritus and former Director of the University of British Columbia’s School of Community and Regional Planning.Dave Gardner promises to declare an ecological overshoot emergency and launch a national project to get the U.S. out of overshoot and lead the world in a global effort. Learn more about that national project at https://brightfutureproject.usSome Recommended Resources, Viewing and Reading:Earth Overshoot Day – official sitehttps://overshoot.footprintnetwork.org/&nbsp;National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts - Global Footprint Network Datahttps://data.footprintnetwork.org&nbsp;On Being a Snowflake in an Avalanche: The Catastrophe of Overshoot and How to Cope – by William E. Reeshttps://www.resilience.org/stories/2024-07-11/on-being-a-snowflake-in-an-avalanche-the-catastrophe-of-overshoot-and-how-to-cope/&nbsp;Earth Overshoot Day 2018 - YouTube video by Dave Gardnerhttps://youtu.be/Kfooegpo-Rg?si=2ZLJhtW21bk675OG&nbsp;Spaceship Earth Passenger Safety Briefing – short film by Dave Gardnerhttp://youtu.be/e5s1i7vTSXk&nbsp;GrowthBusters Playlist on Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/0sOpYgT6oaJnDYIodhEHgy?si=3cf841e2dde745c5&nbsp;Overshoot Playlist: Top 10 Environmental Songs – Episode 30 of GrowthBusters podcasthttps://www.growthbusters.org/overshoot-playlist-top-10-environmental-songs/&nbsp;YouTube playlist of Top 10https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn8soDpwHB3HSuETzzb8ZC_ylk9g1tiGOTop 10 podcast with complete songs<a href="https://www.mixcloud.com/growthbusters/growthbusters-podcast-overshoot-playlist-top-10-environmental-songs/" rel="noopener...