anthropocene

A proposed term for the present time interval, which recognizes humanity’s profound imprint on and role in the functioning of the Earth system. Since it was first proposed in 2000, the term has evolved in breadth and diversely, now ranging from a proposed definition of a new geological epoch, a widely-used metaphor for global change, a novel analytical framework, a meme about the relationship of society to nature, and the framing for new and contested cultural narratives. Different starting periods have been proposed for the geological definition of the Anthropocene, including early agriculture and domestication, colonial species exchange, the onset of the industrial revolution, nuclear bomb deployment in 1945, and the post-WWII period characterized by the great acceleration of global changes and the spread of techno-fossils. A proposal to formalize the ‘Anthropocene’ as a defined geological unit within the Geological Time Scale remains under discussion by the ‘Anthropocene’ Working Group for consideration by the International Commission on Stratigraphy.

A proposed term for the present time interval, which recognizes humanity’s profound imprint on and role in the functioning of the Earth system. Since it was first proposed in 2000, the term has evolved in breadth and diversity, now ranging from a proposed definition of a new geological epoch, a widely-used metaphor for global change, a novel analytical framework, a meme about the relationship of society to nature, and the framing for new and contested cultural narratives. Different starting periods have been proposed for the geological definition of the Anthropocene, including early agriculture and domestication, colonial species exchange, the onset of the industrial revolution, nuclear bomb deployment in 1945, and the post-WWII period characterized by the great acceleration of global changes and the spread of techno-fossils (Brondizio et al., 2016). A proposal to formalize the ‘Anthropocene’ as a defined geological unit within the Geological Time Scale remains under discussion by the ‘Anthropocene’ Working Group for consideration by the International Commission on Stratigraphy.