Yesterday on 2 August, was World Overshoot day.
It is a day that many people dread. World Overshoot day signals the day that the world uses up all its resources that it can regenerate. Beyond that day, the resources we consume are, in effect, stealing from the future. It's the day when we put our planet under even more pressure than it was.
World Overshoot day Is an important reminder to us all. It sends a message that if we continue as business as usual, things will only get worse. If we continue to ignore the warnings, the effects we are already feeling, then we will be plunged into a world of despair and pain.
And while our darkest hour has yet to come, there is hope. There is always hope.
Things must change. Off the coast of Victoria, seismic blast tests are about to begin, starting the process of gas exploration. It will be devastating to Traditional Owners, whales and wildlife who will be at the centre of the blasts, and our environment, polluted by the extraction and burning of the mined gas.
If we are to start making changes, this project must be stopped.
We must also rapidly shift our energy system to renewables. And while yes, the mining for materials to power renewable energy does have an impact, it will never leave as big of a footprint as the fossil fuel industry has.
We also must ensure those renewables are mined in a way that least impacts our environment. To do that, they cannot be mined for profit. They must be controlled by communities.
And that brings us to the last point: World Overshoot day has no hope of stopping under the system of capitalism, which is based on the concept of endless growth. It is clear as day. Under a system that puts profit over people and the earth, there is no hope of change.
Do not let this blog discourage you. Change is possible. There is a world full of hope, action, and justice. We just have to embrace it.