News analysis
Humanity's demands pushing planet to its limits
Today marks Earth Overshoot Day, when humanity's demand for natural resources and services in a given year exceeds what the planet can regenerate in that year. Humanity is living well beyond its means, like it needs 1.75 earths. Rapid population growth, rising demand for food and materials, and consumer lifestyles are pushing nature to the brink. Where are things headed? The Straits Times looks at the crisis and some of the solutions.
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Humanity has become a bad debtor. For decades, it has been using up natural resources faster than the earth can regenerate them.
And each year, this ecological deficit widens to try to meet the needs of nearly eight billion people, underscoring a growing crisis that experts say threatens future generations and the health of the planet.