Anthropocene: The human age

Monastersky, R.

doi:10.1038/519144a

Cited by 188 publications

(84 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…like a lighthouse with a huge tsunami wave coming at it" in this situation (Voosen, 2016). Another geologist, who asked not to be named, believes that "There's a similarity [of "Anthropocene" defenders] to certain religious groups who are extremely keen on their religion-to the extent that they think everybody who doesn't practise their religion is some kind of barbarian" (Monastersky, 2015). Finney & Edwards (2015) and other stratigraphers argue that both the society and the political class, in general, are aware enough of current and potentially future environmental problems and an eventual formalization of the "Anthropocene" would not contributed to improve the situation.…”

Section: Environmental Policy Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Any proposal for incorporating or modifying a stratigraphic unit of the ICC and, therefore, of the GTS, must be submitted to the ICS for approval. The ICC is for geoscience the same that the Periodic Table of Elements for chemistry, and has been considered one of the great achievements of humanity (Monastersky, 2015). The rules and requirements that guide the formalization of new stratigraphic units are compiled in the International Stratigraphic Guide (Salvador, 1994;Murphy & Salvador, 1999).…”

Section: Modifying the Geological Time Scalementioning

confidence: 99%

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El “antropoceno” al desnudo

Rull

2017

Collect. Bot

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The "AnThropocene" uncovered.-The "Anthropocene", defined as a new geological epoch characterized by the global human footprint on Earth System, has become a term frequently used in a varied range of fields. However, some fundamental misconceptions remain on the origin and the scientific validity of this term. A common misconception is that the "Anthropocene" term and concept originated at the beginning of this century but the truth is that the concept was fully developed more than 140 years ago. Another frequent fallacy is that the "Anthropocene" is already a formal geological term. However, the process of its formalization as a new unit of the Geological Time Scale has not even begun. Another poorly addressed aspect is the significance of future human developments, from both cultural and evolutionary points of view, in the eventual definition of a new geological epoch as the "Anthropocene". This essay discusses these aspects for a non-specialized audience. The potential consequences of the uncontrolled human pressure on Earth System and the need for redressing our relationship with the planet are not under discussion. This essay is concerned only with the initiative of using this argument to propose that we have entered a new epoch of the Geological Time Scale.Key words: Anthropocene; anthropogenic forcing; Anthropozoic; Geological Time Scale; human footprint; stratigraphy.Resumen el "AnTropoceno" Al desnudo.-El "Antropoceno", definido como una nueva época geológica caracterizada por la huella humana global sobre el Sistema Tierra, se ha convertido en un término muy usado en una gran variedad de disciplinas. Sin embargo, todavía hay una serie de ideas equivocadas sobre el origen y la validez científica de este término. Un error muy común es pensar que el término y el concepto de "Antropoceno" se originaron a principios de este siglo, pero la verdad es que este concepto ya estaba plenamente desarrollado hace más de 140 años. Otra equivocación frecuente es considerar que el "Antropoceno" ya es un término geológico formal, cuando la realidad es que el proceso de su formalización como una nueva época de la Escala del Tiempo Geológico ni siquiera ha empezado. Otro aspecto muy poco tratado es la importancia del futuro cultural y evolutivo de nuestra especie en la eventual definición de una nueva época geológica como el "Antropoceno". En este ensayo se discuten estos aspectos para una audiencia no especializada. Las posibles consecuencias de la presión humana incontrolada sobre el Sistema Tierra y la necesidad de reconsiderar nuestra relación con el planeta no se discuten aquí. El ensayo está centrado, únicamente, en la utilización de este argumento para proponer que hemos entrado en una nueva época de la Escala del Tiempo Geológico.Palabras clave: Antropoceno; Antropozoico; Escala del Tiempo Geológico; estratigrafía; forzamiento antrópico; huella humana. Cómo citar este artículo / CitationRull, V. 2017. The "Anthropocene" uncovered. Collectanea Botanica 36: e008. doi: http://dx

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Section: Environmental Policy Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Modifying the Geological Time Scalementioning

confidence: 99%

El “antropoceno” al desnudo

Rull

2017

Collect. Bot

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“…Economic activity and related engineered systems intersect with the planetary biogeosphere in a substantial manner [15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. Since at least the industrial revolution, the globe has been stamped with people's activities [22,23], people vigorously applying engineering science, and geosciences.…”

Section: Engineering a Human Niche And Its Narrativesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, cities are receiving drinking water and ejecting waste water, receiving electric power or fuels and ejecting heat, receiving food and ejecting manufactured goods that at the end of their life-cycle are discarded or recycled elsewhere on the globe. The accumulated impacts of engineering production systems and consumption patterns, undertaken to sustain a human population of 9 to 11 Billion people by the end of the century, led to effective terra-engineering [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]28,29]. Geo-engineering climate processes would be an additional engineering activity; of a similar quality as the modification of the global nitrogen cycle since the development of the Haber-Bosch process at the beginning of the 20th century [29].…”

Section: Engineering a Human Niche And Its Narrativesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ideal-Type Narratives for Engineering a Human Niche

Böhle

2017

Geosciences

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Abstract:Humans have built an anthropocentric biogeosphere; called: 'human niche'. Global change is part of this historical process of niche construction, which implies the intersection of the biogeosphere and the sphere of human activities of social, economic, cultural, and political natures. To construct these intersections, modern-day societies deploy 'engineered systems' and build narratives to frame these activities with purpose. This essay describes: (i) perceptions of what 'engineered systems' are about, (ii) their context such as global change, human agency, and societal implications of applied geosciences, and (iii) related narratives on how to handle global change through the design of 'engineered systems'. Subsequently, regarding underpinning insights, it is shown that they: (i) are well-known, were used in the past, and now may be applied to handle global change; (ii) enshrine a distinct choice on how human activities and the biogeosphere shall intersect; and (iii) can be described by a simple ideal-type scheme, which does not require detailed scientific-technical understanding. Subsequently, it is illustrated how this ideal-type scheme leads to different narratives about what kind of 'engineered systems' are preferred. It is concluded that such ideal-type narratives for a messy world may help a lay-public to choose between options regarding how to handle global change.

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“…Stratigraphers, geologists, and environmentalists, among others, are still debating whether or not it should be the official designation for the contemporary era. For an overview, see Monastersky 2015. managers who create and maintain such systems (exceptions include Corteel and Le Lay 2011, Perry 1998and Reno 2009.…”

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confidence: 99%

The Job is in the Field: Notes from Municipal Anthropology

Nagle

2017

jba

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The Department of Sanitation in New York City is a mayoral agency with a key role in municipal government, but it also has the attributes of a powerful corporation. With an annual budget in excess of a billion dollars, it hires, monitors, and replaces private vendors and contractors for a host of essential services, balances the often conflicting demands of several unions, and answers to a watchful but perpetually critical public. As the Department's anthropologist--in--residence since 2006, my work has included consulting, advocacy, collaboration, education, and organizing various projects focused on the interface between Sanitation and that larger public. These efforts have helped me understand the urban environment from the perspective of those who keep it clean, while also letting me become intimately acquainted with the complex dynamics of a workforce that is generally scorned even while it is fundamental to the well--being of the metropolis it serves. This paper considers the model of anthropologist--in--residence as I've structured it within the DSNY, discusses contributions to an anthropology of organizations, and explores the possibility of similar relationships between anthropologists and other public and private institutions.

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Anthropocene: The human age

Cited by 188 publications

References 6 publications

El “antropoceno” al desnudo

El “antropoceno” al desnudo

Ideal-Type Narratives for Engineering a Human Niche

The Job is in the Field: Notes from Municipal Anthropology

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