An Anniversary Day that needs to be removed from the calendar

April was the day that New Zealand reached its least celebratory anniversary - our Earth Overshoot Day. We reached it 112 days before the average for all countries - today, 1 August, still 152 days before the end of the year.

There are no celebrations for this achievement, quite the opposite, we should celebrate when we no longer record an Earth Overshoot day. Despite this stunning performance by NZ I cannot recall any mentions in the news. Yes we do hear a little about climate change, and still do little about it, but really our focus should be on the way we treat our natural environment. Climate change is simply a consequence of our disregard for the natural environment.

This Newsroom article by Jack Santa Barbara looks at Earth Overshoot. It should be compulsory reading for all of us. Unlike the tables that rank countries by all ranges of feel-good factors, ones that we usually extensively congratulate ourselves on achieving , this is one where we are also in the leading bunch. Nothing to celebrate though and no 'shouting from the rooftops' about it - in fact, just silence and a determination to get on with business as usual.

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