Anthropocene

n. the epoch marked by humanity’s effects on global geology and ecology. Subjects: English, Environment, Science

Etymological Note: This term was coined by the authors of the first 2000 citation.

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Citations: 2000 Paul J. Crutzen, Eugene F. Stoermer @ International Geosphere–Biosphere Programme Global Change Newsletter (Stockholm, Sweden) (May) “The ‘Anthropocene’” no. 41, p. 17: Considering these and many other major and still growing impacts of human activities on earth and atmosphere, and at all, including global, scales, it seems to us more than appropriate to emphasize the central role of mankind in geology and ecology by proposing to use the term “anthropocene” for the current geological epoch. 2000 P. Falkowski et al. Science (Oct. 13) “The Global Carbon Cycle: A Test of Our Knowledge of Earth as a System” vol. 290, no. 5490, p. 295: As we rapidly enter a new Earth system domain, the “Anthropocene” era, the debate about distinguishing human effects from natural variability will inevitably abate in the face of increased understanding of climate and biogeochemical cycles. 2001 David K. C. Jones Geomorphological Processes and Landscape Change (Dec.) p. 62: Exactly when such an Anthropocene should be seen to replace a truncated Holocene is a matter of debate.…Some would undoubtedly advocated AD 1000, which roughly equates with the beginning of the industrial cycle of global population growth.…, while others would prefer c. AD 1500, so as to conform to what Roberts (1998) refers to as the culmination of the “taming of nature” phase and the commencement of “the modern era.” However, there is likely to be even greater support for c. AD 1750, approximately corresponding to the start of the Industrial Revolution. 2006 Mariana Gosnell New York Times (Mar. 16) “In Epoch of Man, Earth Takes a Beating”: In a final chapter on the “Anthropocene,” a newly minted term meaning the geological epoch defined by man, Ms. Kolbert turns from her mostly unbiased field reporting to give her own opinion.

Posted 22 Mar 06 | Permalink | Tell a Friend