Overcoming the Earth Overshoot Day and #movethedate – The Frugal Way !

This is all about things we produce, distribute and consume. Currently, food demands makes up 26% of the global ecological footprint. anduses over half of our planet’s biocapacity. 

Did you know that we would move Overshoot Day 10 days if we cut food waste in half worldwide. Here are practical steps you can immediately implement to reduce food waste and increase your money savings : 

1. Shop smart  – planning! Plan out your meals, and make a detailed shopping list with the ingredients you’ll need, and stick to that list It’s easier said than done, but (hey !) practice makes perfect ! 
2. Use small plate to avoid over-serve food for yourself / family
3. Save and love your leftovers. Label your leftovers to keep track of how long they’ve been in your fridge or freezer, and incorporate them into your daily or weekly routine (pack your lunch to office / school to save your time and money).
4. Store food correctly. 
5. Avoid clutter in your fridge, cupboard, and freezer. Well-stocked fridge can be a good thing, but overly filled fridge /cupboard/freezer are not necessarily a good thing, especially when it comes to food waste. 
6. Understand expiration and “sell-by” dates. Let’s admit, “sell by” and “expires on” are two confusing terms used on food labels. Most of the time, these terms are used to determine the date producers think a product is most likely to spoil by or when the product should be sold/removed from the shelves (due to food quality, not food safety).
7. Love the “ugly” fruits or vegetables. Consumer demand for flawless fruits and vegetables has led major grocery chains to buy only picture-perfect produce from farmers. This leads to tons of perfectly good food going to waste. Did you know that ugly-looking fruits or vegetables are identical in taste and nutrition with the perfect one ?
8. Donate to foodbank or farms. Instead of throwing away excess food, you can consider to donate items you are not going to consume before they go bad to Foodbank and charities organisations for people in need.  
9. Try to compost yourself. Composting leftover food is a beneficial way to reuse food scraps, turning food waste into energy for plants.

Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and increase usage of renewable energy can slowly replace the CO2 heavy method we use. You can start by lowering your household energy consumption by, 

1. switch to LED – one bulb at a time. An LED lamp uses 1/5 to 1/6th the amount of electricity as that used by a standard incandescent light bulb of the same light output. 

2. open your window and space heating or cooling (depending on where you live)

3. Turn your aircon / thermostat up or down several degrees to save energy one degree up

4. Dress appropriately for the season

5.  Reduce electricity consumption of appliances & turn off appliances and standby ( keep the “vampire appliances away”)

6. Space your laundry day and select a quick wash if clothes aren’t very dirty. To add,  skip the dryer (whenever possible).

7. Place the freezer in the garage or coldest room of the house

Did you know that cars are responsible for 19.7% of global carbon footprint. If we reduce driving by 50% around the world and assume one-third of car miles are replaced by public transportation and the rest by biking and walking, Earth Overshoot Day would move back 12 days ! 

1. Commute with public transport or ride to your workplace / school

2. Carpool to and from work / school – this not just benefit your wallet, but also positively reduce traffic congestion and increase your usable commute time. How about mingle with the carpooling folks or close your eyes for a few minutes 

3. Move closer to your daily activities point (office / school)

4. Check out options for shared bikes / electric bikes in your cities

The web of life is vital to keep our planet liveable. Fertile soil, clean water, and clean air are necessary to provide humanity with the food and physical health we require to thrive. Due to the massive overuse of the planet’s biological resources, we need to boost the health of our ecosystems and to regenerate biological  resources through: 

1. Reforestation of tropical forests and mangroves to increase biodiversity, sequestering carbon dioxide, and acting as flood barriers during hurricanes for coastal urban areas in the tropics and sub tropics

2. Regenerative agriculture enriches soil, increases biodiversity, and enhances watershed health, while capturing carbon dioxide in the soil 

3. Sustainable fishing to help ensure that the ocean continues to provide for generations to come. A healthy ocean also needs acidification to be slowed by controlling carbon emissions, since the oceans absorbs 30% of our emissions. 

Reducing family size at this rate is equivalent to moving back Earth Overshoot Day by about 30 days, or one month, by 2050. Long-term benefits are even more striking. This continued reduction in family size would result in 50% more biocapacity per person in 2100. More biocapacity makes it easier to have thriving lives for all within the means of the planet.

On current trends we are on track for a population of more than 11 billion people by the end of the century. Research shows that birth rates tend to decrease as women have more financial security. 

Educating girls and empowering women are keys to reverse overshoot and create a sustainable and livable planet for everyone. When women are respected as equal partners in the household and have equal rights to economic resources in the society.