Explain ecological footprint vs biocapacity and the meaning of overshoot.

• A. Biocapacity measures demand on natural resources; footprint measures Earth's capacity to regenerate; overshoot occurs when footprint exceeds biocapacity.
• B. Footprint measures demand on natural resources; biocapacity measures Earth's capacity to regenerate; overshoot occurs when demand exceeds supply.
• C. Overshoot occurs when biocapacity exceeds footprint.
• D. Ecological footprint measures Earth's total land area.

Answer: (C)

Demand vs capacity drives this idea. The ecological footprint is a measure of how much land and sea area humanity needs to sustain its consumption and absorb the waste we generate. Biocapacity, on the other hand, is the Earth’s ability to regenerate those resources and assimilate that waste in a given year. Overshoot happens when the demand expressed by the footprint exceeds the planet’s biocapacity in that year. In that situation we’re drawing down natural capital, degrading ecosystems, and using resources faster than they can be replenished. So the correct relationship is footprint surpassing biocapacity. The other descriptions mix up who is measuring demand versus supply or misstate what the footprint represents.