Europe clear cut most of their trees in the Middle Ages to such an extent that monarchs were forbidding the use of wood for numerous non-naval uses. It was one

Europe clear cut most of their trees in the Middle Ages to such an extent that monarchs were forbidding the use of wood for numerous non-naval uses. It was one of those edicts forbidding use of wood in glass production, and a bunch of other uses that tipped the UK toward the industrial revolution. Coal became far more widely used, whereas it had previously been seen as dirty and to be avoided. Some see that lack of wood as a push to colonise. If we're talking regeneratable resources, such as plants and wood, we've exceeded the capacity of the planet since about 1970. It's been measured by earth overshoot day[1], which has steadily been getting earlier since its first calculation of Dec 31st. In 2019 it was July 29. We would need 1.7 earths to sustainably supply the resources we use. Humanity already uses over 50% of the earth's land -- the best, most productive, most fertile 50% for our homes and agriculture, and what's left is the least productive and unusable. The idea that we're not running out on a finite planet, with exponentially growing population, and nearly all the productive landmass already in service of humanity is what doesn't make sense. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Overshoot_Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Overshoot_Day