The clock is ticking on Earth’s resources. Humanity is consuming materials at a pace that Earth cannot sustain. The environmental group Global Footprint Network has transformed the date on which humanity’s resource usage surpasses Earth’s renewal ability into a global campaign called “Earth Overshoot Day.” The movement serves as a response to the globally increasing demand for natural resources.
Since the 1970s, humanity’s resource use has been overtaking Earth’s ability to restore what’s been depleted. In 1971, Earth Overshoot Day fell on Dec. 25. Due to mounting demands, the date has been falling progressively earlier and in 2022, humanity had consumed its allotted resources by July 28. According to Global Footprint Network, at the current rate of increase, two planets’ worth of resources will be required annually before 2050.
The dominant contributing factor to this shift is overconsumption, which can have long-lasting effects on the environment, such as soil erosion and species loss. Carbon emissions, which are the primary cause of climate change, are also increased by excessive consumption of fossil fuels. Another notable factor is overpopulation. In the 1970s, there were half as many people occupying the planet as there are today. As populations have increased, more strain has been put on our finite resources.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash / 照片：Unsplash 提供
Alongside Earth Overshoot Day, each country has its own individual Overshoot Day. High-income countries such as the US and Canada consumed their yearly resources by March 13, four months earlier than the global average, in 2022, whereas low-income countries like Nigeria and the Philippines did not meet the criteria for a national Overshoot Day. This stark contrast highlights the inequality in resource distribution and consumption.
Ultimately, it’s not too late to avert disaster. Earth Overshoot Day endeavors to show that through better urban planning, more sustainable farming methods, and switching to renewable energy sources, we can push back the clock and preserve our planet.
地球的資源正隨著時間一點一滴的耗盡。人類正以地球無法承受的速度消耗原物料。環保組織「全球足跡網絡」已將人類的資源使用超過地球再生能力的那天改作名為「地球超載日」的全球活動。這項活動是作為對全球自然資源需求漸增的回應。
自西元1970年代以來，人類對資源的使用持續超過地球再生已消耗資源的能力。在西元1971年，地球超載日落在12月25日。由於日益遽增的需求，這個日期逐漸提前，而在西元2022年，人類在7月28日之前就已經將被分配到的資源消耗殆盡。根據全球足跡網絡的說法，按照目前能源消耗的增長速度，在西元2050年前，每年將需要相當於兩顆地球的資源。
這種轉變的主要促成因素是過度消耗，這可能對環境產生如水土流失和物種消失等的長期影響。作為氣候變遷的主要原因，碳排放也因化石燃料的過度消耗而增加。另一項值得注意的因素是人口過剩。在西元1970年代，佔據地球的人口是今天的一半。隨著人口的增加，我們有限的資源承受了更大的壓力。
除了地球超載日，每個國家都有自己個別的超載日。美國與加拿大等高收入國家在3月13日之前消耗完它們的年度資源，比西元2022年的全球平均還要早四個月，然而奈及利亞和菲律賓等低收入國家沒有達到國家超載日的標準。這種強烈的對比突顯了資源分配和使用的不平等。
避免災難終究還不會太晚。地球超載日極力顯示出透過更好的城市規畫、更可永續的耕作方法以及改用可再生能源，我們可以反轉時間並保護我們的星球。
MORE INFORMATION
overshoot n. 超過；越過
erosion n. 侵蝕；磨損
stark adj.（對比）鮮明的；極端的
endeavor vt. 力圖；試圖（達成）
KEY VOCABULARY
1. surpass vt. 超越；勝過
The restaurant’s food and service surpassed my expectations. 這間餐廳的食物和服務超越我的預期。
2. deplete vt. 消耗；消費
When they bought the house, the family depleted all the money that they had saved. 當那家人買下這間房子時，他們花光了先前的積蓄。
3. mounting adj. 增加的；加劇的
The mounting pressure at his job inspired Jeff to look for a new place to work. 逐漸加劇的工作壓力促使傑夫另尋新的工作場所。
4. progressively adv. 逐漸地
The pain got progressively worse over several days, and by the time I went to the doctor, it was terrible.
疼痛感幾天下來逐漸加劇，當我去看醫生時，情況已經很糟糕了。
5. allot vt. 分配；分派
Each person will be allotted five minutes to give their speech during this meeting. 每個人將有五分鐘的時間在本次會議上發表演說。
6. finite adj. 有限的
We only have finite space in this box, so some of the things will have to go. 我們在這個盒子裡的空間有限，所以有些物品將必須被清除。
7. criterion n. 標準；準則（複數 criteria） meet the criteria 符合標準；達標
The only criterion for joining this gym is the ability to pay for the entrance fee. 進入這間健身房的唯一標準是有能力支付入場費。
8. avert vt. 避免；轉移
Cindy averted a big mess by removing crayons from her son’s pockets before she washed and dried his clothes.
在清洗及烘乾她兒子的衣服之前，辛蒂從兒子的口袋中取出蠟筆，避免了一場大麻煩。
9. renewable adj. 可再生的；可延長時間的 renewal n. 重建；革新；再生
The government is encouraging car manufacturers to make vehicles that use renewable sources of energy.
政府正在鼓勵汽車製造商製造使用再生能源的汽車。
學習音檔: https://magazine.english4u.net/Magdata/menu/lkmpb
《空中美語》雜誌APP免費下載: https://www.english4u.net/apps/index.aspx
免費收聽當月《空中美語》雜誌課文朗讀及解析 !
文章由AMC空中美語授權使用: https://www.english4u.net
If you’ve recently spotted adults parading around with cuddly toys dangling from their designer handbags, your eyes haven’t been deceiving you. The playful trend of adorning bags with cute charms has become popular among people of various ages. Plushies like Labubu and anime and manga characters such as Chiikawa have become must-have accessories that make personal statements. The practice of attaching charms to personal items has been common across cultures throughout history. In ancient civilizations, charms were often used as symbols of protection, good luck, or identity. Fast-forward to more modern times, and style icons like Jane Birkin, a
★ Bilingual Story is a fictionalized account. 雙語故事部分內容純屬虛構。 Kevin leaned over the bubbling pot. “Hey. . . are you okay? You’ve barely touched your food.” Zoey blinked. Her face was red — not from blushing, but from the “mala” spice and the heat of the room. Her blond hair clumped to her face like strands of fine spaghetti. Her carefully applied makeup now streaked. “This isn’t what I expected,” she said softly, forcing a smile. All around them, Kevin’s friends were laughing, shouting, and tossing ingredients into the broth. The air smelled of chili oil and garlic.
Picture this: contestants are walking gracefully across a stage, competing for the highly desired title of “most beautiful.” However, these participants aren’t fashion models—they’re camels. Welcome to the extraordinary world of the Pushkar Fair, where beauty contests take on an entirely different meaning. The Pushkar Fair is held annually in the small desert town of Pushkar, India, usually in November. It began as a livestock trading event where farmers and herders gathered to buy and sell camels, horses and cattle. Over time, it has grown into a major cultural carnival that attracts thousands of tourists from around the world.
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日） https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang If plushie charms are cute little nods to people’s interests, ita bags are full-on declarations. The term “ita” comes from the Japanese word itai, which means “painful” and reflects the overwhelming visual intensity of these bags. An ita bag is essentially a handbag, backpack, or tote meticulously decorated with an extensive collection of merchandise dedicated to a specific character or idol. These bags usually feature a clear plastic window to display carefully arranged pins, badges, keychains, or fan art. Both the interior and exterior may be covered in fandom memorabilia, creating an aesthetic so intense that it’s almost “painful”
RSS