Borrowing the earth from our children – Earth Overshoot Day 2026
"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children," noted Chief Seattle of the Duwamish Tribe in 1845.
Collectively, we are consuming nature – deforestation, soil erosion, depleting resources, greenhouse gas build-up – 73 per cent faster than it can be replenished.
Continuing at our current rate means we permanently borrow from the future.
July 30th marks this year’s Earth Overshoot Day when our global demand for ecological resources exceeds what can be regenerated in an entire year.
The richest nations are using up nature disproportionately more per person, and since the 1970s the overshoot date is earlier and earlier e.g., in the UK that date was reached on May 22nd (compared for example to the USA on March 14th, China on May 27th, Iraq on September 23rd, and Cambodia on November 25th).
This overexploitation is already leading to severe water scarcity, widespread soil degradation, and mass biodiversity loss.
Continuing this will trigger ecosystem collapse, soaring commodity prices, and climate crises.
This is not simply a consequence of rising population but rather of overconsumption – using up resources exceeding our basic needs.
According to Mahatma Gandhi: "We have enough for everyone's need but not for anyone's greed."
Overconsumption is linked to mass production, disposable goods, and modern consumer culture; not only draining natural resources and worsening climate change but also driving household debt and a cycle of stress, where short-term material gratification is prioritised over long-term well-being.
Studies show we only regularly use about 20 per cent of the things we own.
In the UK, it is estimated that nearly a third of all household possessions go completely unused.
This phenomenon extends to our wardrobes; while the average British adult owns 118 items of clothing, a quarter of these garments are never worn in a given year, yet still we habitually keep buying what we don’t need and will never use.
Solutions exist!
Reducing overconsumption involves shifting from a linear ‘buy-use-dispose’ model to a more mindful ‘circular’ approach that prioritises extending the lifespan of what you already own and buying less overall.
The circular economy is an alternative economic model designed to replace the traditional linear "take-make-dispose" economy.
It operates on a closed-loop system where the value of products, materials, and resources is maintained in the economy for as long as possible.
Instead of resources ending up in landfills or incinerators, the circular economy focuses on minimising waste and regenerating natural systems (which we will look at in next month’s column).
Simple steps to minimise waste start with using what you already have before buying new, using community platforms to borrow or swap items, and using ‘libraries of things’ (e.g., ShareCycle in Teesside) to maximise resource recovery instead of contributing to millions of tonnes of waste generated globally including 137 billion pounds worth of electronic device waste.
Local solutions include your community Repair Cafe – there are over twelve across the Tees Valley and North Yorkshire – where friendly fixers will extend the life of your broken household items for free, saving the planet from waste and depletion of resources in manufacturing new.
The Repair Cafe at Swainby Village Hall on Saturday, July 18th, 10-12 also includes Reuse where you can give items you don’t need and take those you do for no cost.
For other planet-protecting ideas come to Climate Action Stokesley & Villages AGM at Stokesley Community Library Tuesday, 21st July, 7-9 pm to join in a pooled supper, help review actions of the last year, and plan for the next (casav.uk).
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