The Weekender: how many days does it take to eat the earth?

The Weekender features a longer form publication or multimedia production from a reputable source. We select articles or things to watch or listen to that discuss issues and opportunities we deem just off the radar for many business people, students, and faculty. We aim to expand the mind, broaden the heart, and sharpen the analysis. Have a great Sunday.

My notes:

The Earth's fiscal year isn't over yet, but we have already blown our budget. Imagine going to your boss and saying you have spent all your allocated funds even though 5 months remain in the year! This wouldn't be a pleasant conversation. Ecologically speaking, we are doing the same thing: burning through today's dollars then needing to borrow from the future to pay for the present. This is wantonly irresponsible way to run a business and a planet.

Or you know that feeling during the holidays when it feels like you work for hours to put up a meal that is consumed in minutes? Ecologically speaking, we are doing the same thing. And like any good mother, the Earth is saying, "I can't believe you all consume so quickly what it took me so long to create!"

Imagine the opposite: we use our allocated resources and create additional assets for the future instead of borrowing from them. We set the future up for success, with a nest egg of abundance. It starts with recognizing where the science says we are. The science, like our earth accountants, can tell us what the P&L statement looks like. And right now, for the first time ever, it looks like we are 5 months short.

7 Months. The Time it Has Taken Humanity to Consume 12 months of Resources (The Guardian)