Ringing the Bell to call out Earth Overshoot Day– 22nd August 12 noon at Moruya
by Rev. Linda Chapman, Rector Anglican Parish of Moruya & Open Sanctuary Tilba Tilba
What is Earth Overshoot Day? Earth Overshoot Day is the day when humanityʼs demands for ecological resources (such as water, fish and other living creatures, forests and soil), exceeds what the Earth can renew in a year. Collectively, we are over consuming, over exploiting and de-stabilising the earth systems. This has upset its delicate balances and recovery processes.
We see this in increasingly ʻunprecedentedʼ fires, drought and extreme weather. Yet our changed behaviour – even for a short time – to stop COVID-19 spreading has pushed back the date of Earth Overshoot Day this year by about three weeks. This does not mean we can relax, though. The window for avoiding catastrophic consequences from damage to our climate continues to close rapidly. We are also driving mass extinction of species and breakdown of the integrity of our common home. More info: WWW.OVERSHOOTDAY.ORG
Why do we need to change our attitudes and behaviour? These unfolding climate and ecological crises – and COVID-19 – are tragic warning signs of our broken relationship with the earth and our loss of understanding of our interrelationship with all living things and the physical environment that enables life. Australians are some of the biggest contributors to this problem: if everyone behaved like us, humanity would consume the equivalent of over 4 Earths each year! Why is it important to mark Earth Overshoot Day? This year we are marking Earth Overshoot Day to raise it in the public consciousness and create a call for transformation of our attitudes and actions. This is why we are coming together in symbolic action and reflection.
At 12 noon on Saturday 22nd August we will ring the bell at St Johns Anglican Church, Moruya, along with other churches around Australia, to signal the need to reduce human pressure on the earth’s resources. All are invited to join us. Please come and gather in the grounds in safe (1.5 metre) physical distance from each other or mark the day in your own way.
