On August 2nd, we mark Earth Overshoot Day, an important reminder to reflect on our planet’s resources and our role in preserving them. Earth Overshoot Day signifies the point in the year when humanity’s ecological footprint exceeds the Earth’s capacity to regenerate resources.

The unfortunate reality is that this event is happening today, signifying that humanity has used up all the natural resources that the Earth could have regenerated in an entire year. In essence, it’s like spending more money than you earn, leading to an ecological debt that accumulates over time.

This year’s Earth Overshoot Day has arrived earlier than ever before, highlighting the need for responsible resource management. The growing global population, increasing energy demands, rampant deforestation, and the overexploitation of our oceans are some of the factors contributing to this escalating ecological overshoot.

While it is a concerning milestone, it also presents an opportunity for positive change. By raising awareness and understanding the impact of our actions, we can collectively work towards a sustainable future.

To discover practical ways to address ecological overshoot and contribute to a more sustainable world, we invite you to explore the MoveTheDate Solutions map available here. This interactive platform offers valuable insights into sustainable practices and inspires positive action. 

Furthermore, we will be updating the Get Involved page with a list of ideas for how you can Reduce, Remove and Recycle – so follow us closely!

Together, we can make a difference by adopting sustainable habits, supporting eco-friendly initiatives, and promoting responsible environmental stewardship.

Let’s celebrate our planet and embrace the shared responsibility of creating a greener and more sustainable future for generations to come.

Source: https://www.overshootday.org/newsroom/country-overshoot-days/

In June 2023, the Centre for Climate Repair Cambridge hosted a workshop on Albedo Enhancement and Refreezing the Arctic. The programme listed a variety of presenters from multiple institutes and universities. Some key points to take home from the many interesting talks:

1. The first promising steps have been set in the development of spraying techniques and related equipment for cloud modification.
2. Model calculations have provided the insights that stratospheric aerosols are most effective in reducing average temperature if injected at multiple latitudes, however global annual precipitation will reduce.
3. Various techniques to enhance polar ice formation and growth are under investigation.

Wrapping up the forum discussion at the end:

1. Climate repair experts urgently need to unite and jointly issue a clear, unambiguous report to public and politicians.

A detailed summary of the entire workshop will follow soon. Stay tuned!

In June 2023, Global surface air temperatures crossed the crucial 1.5C warming threshold at the start of June, as the world’s oceans hit record-high temperatures for two months running. This once again shows the urgency to Reduce, Remove, and Refreeze! Read more here. 

Source: Copernicus, Financial Times.

In February 2023, the Centre for Climate Repair at Cambridge and Refreeze the Arctic Foundation (RAF) signed a multi-year agreement to fund research methods for brightening clouds to combat climate change. “We are extremely happy we can make this donation. Today is the start of a multi-year highly synergistic collaboration between two top universities. We realise our challenge is enormous and hope to expand this initiative into a global network,” RAF said.

Read more on the website of the Centre for Climate Repair at Cambridge by clicking here and read more about the research group on the ‘Our Partners’ tab.

In November 2022, Delft University Fund signed a multi-year grant agreement with the Refreeze the Arctic Foundation. This will enable the development of innovative methods at TU Delft to modify clouds to combat global warming.

This is an important step forward in building a research alliance into Marine Cloud Brightening. The Refreeze the Arctic Foundation is currently in discussions with another potential partner to expand the research alliance. Keep posted for updates!

Read more on the website of the University of Technology Delft by clicking here and read more about the research group on the ‘Our Partners’ tab.