Answer:
False
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement is not accurate. The concept of humans using more resources than the planet can regenerate is referred to as "overshoot," and it was not recognized as a global phenomenon until the 1970s. Therefore, it is not possible for studies to suggest that humans began to use more resources than the planet could regenerate as early as 1940.
However, there is evidence to suggest that humans have been depleting natural resources and altering ecosystems for centuries, if not millennia. For example, the deforestation of many regions of the world, such as the Mediterranean, began in ancient times and continued through the Middle Ages and into the modern era. The Industrial Revolution, which began in the 18th century, also had a profound impact on the environment, with increased fossil fuel use, industrial pollution, and land-use changes.