Pro. Chetan Singh Solanki's column: We are consuming as many resources as 1.8 Earth on 1 Earth

The festival of Diwali concluded last month. This time India's festive sales reached a record ₹6.05 lakh crore, up 25% from the previous year. The markets were lit up and there were posters of sales everywhere. This time people bought a lot taking advantage of the GST cut. But was this a glimpse of a growing economy or a symptom of our worsening addiction to endless consumption on a finite planet? If our income is fixed, then our expenses should also be fixed, otherwise spending more than income makes us bankrupt. In the same way, if the size of our planet is fixed, all its resources are fixed, then we will also have to live within its limits. But for centuries, the human species has been living as if the earth's resources are infinite. Just as the capacity of any machine or human being is limited, the capacity of our earth is also limited. If we spend one year's salary in a year, then we will remain in the balance. In the same way, if you consume what the earth produces in a year, then you will remain in balance. There is a criterion to describe it, which is known as Earth Over Shoot Day. If Earth Over Shoot Day falls on December 31, it means that we are consuming the Earth's year-round production capacity in a year. In this situation, we can say that we are living a sustainable life on earth. But you will be surprised to know that this year Earth Over Shoot Day came on July 24 itself. This means that we have exhausted all the resources of the earth's capacity for the year by July 24. The resources we will consume from July 25 to December 31 will be surplus. We can say that these additional resources will be borrowed or stolen. In my view, every modern human being is a thief, he is living by stealing the resources of his children and grandchildren.Even then he says out of ignorance that whatever I am doing, I am doing all for my children. There can be no bigger joke than this in today's world. Because no parent can give their children as much pure air, water and food as they did 30 years ago, no matter how rich they are. According to the estimate of Earth Over Shoot Day, we are currently using 1.8 Earth's resources, but we have only 1 Earth. Mathematically, using 1.8 earth-equivalent resources on 1 earth is a step towards the bankruptcy of the human species. For this reason, air, water, soil are all getting polluted, the earth is warming and climate change is happening. If we are consuming 1.8 of the earth's resources, the solution to the problems it creates is mathematically obvious: we should reduce our consumption by about half. We should almost halve the use of clothes, electricity, cars, travel, house size, garbage, etc. Because we can't stretch the earth and make it bigger. Science, technology or government cannot help us in this. We have to limit our needs on a limited earth, understanding the limitations of the earth. It's not a question of our liking or disliking. This is a fact. And if we do not follow that truth, then man on this earth is bound to go bankrupt. Please don't build a building to destroy children in the name of their children. Halve our needs, we only need half. (These are the personal views of the author)