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NGOs raise alarm as Earth hits 'Overshoot Day' this Thursday

This Thursday (July 28) is the day by which humanity has consumed all that the Earth can sustainably produce for this year, with NGOs warning that the rest of 2022 will be lived in resource-deficit.
The Global Footprint Network and the WWF said, the date— dubbed as 'Earth Overshoot Day'— marks a tipping point when people have used up "all that ecosystems can regenerate in one year."
Mathis Wackernagel, president of the Global Footprint Network, said: "From January 1 to July 28, humanity has used as much from nature as the planet can renew in an entire year. That's why July 28 is Earth Overshoot Day.”
"The Earth has a lot of stock, so we can deplete Earth for some time but we cannot overuse it forever. It's like with money; we can spend more than we earn for some time until we're broke," he added.
The Global Footprint Network said that this year, Earth Overshoot Day has arrived sooner than in the last 50 years, the Khaleej Times reported, citing the AFP.

In 2020, the date moved back three weeks due to the Covid-19 pandemic, before returning to pre-pandemic levels. The burden is not evenly spread. If everyone lived like an American, the date would have fallen even earlier, on March 13, Wackernagel said.
The two NGOs point the blame at the food production system and its "considerable" ecological footprint.
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The two NGOs said: "In total, more than half of the planet's biocapacity (55 per cent) is used to feed humanity.”
Pierre Cannet of WWF France: "A large part of the food and raw materials are used to feed animals" that are "consumed afterwards.”
He said: In the EU, "63 per cent of arable land" is directly associated with "animal production.”
The NGOs added: "Agriculture contributes to deforestation, climate change by emitting greenhouse gases, loss of biodiversity and degradation of ecosystems, while using a significant share of fresh water.”
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Based on scientific advice, they advocate reducing meat consumption in rich countries:
Laetitia Mailhes of the Global Footprint Network, said: "If we could cut meat consumption by half, we could move the date of the overshoot by 17 days.”
She concluded that "Limiting food waste would push the date back by 13 days", which is "not insignificant" while one-third of the world's food is wasted.
Source: khaleejtimes
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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