Perspectives on our planet in the Anthropocene

Williams, Jonathan; Crutzen, Paul J.

doi:10.1071/en13061

Cited by 28 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…Arguably the most important type of driver affecting hydrogeological systems in the current era is anthropogenic activity (Wagener et al ). It is widely recognized that in many systems the impact of human activity often overwhelms natural processes (Williams and Crutzen ). The major classes of change are: Land‐use change, such as deforestation for agriculture and urbanization or afforestation for land rehabilitation or plantation forestry; Groundwater extraction—either for irrigation, domestic water, or mining; Anthropogenic climate change and related sea‐level rise. …”

Section: Drivers Of Transience In Hydrogeological Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A New Assessment Framework for Transience in Hydrogeological Systems

Currell¹,

Gleeson

Dahlhaus

2014

Groundwater

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The importance of transience in the management of hydrogeologic systems is often uncertain. We propose a clear framework for determining the likely importance of transient behavior in groundwater systems in a management context. The framework incorporates information about aquifer hydraulics, hydrological drivers, and time scale of management. It is widely recognized that aquifers respond on different timescales to hydrological change and that hydrological drivers themselves, such as climate, are not stationary in time. We propose that in order to assess whether transient behavior is likely to be of practical importance, three factors need to be examined simultaneously: (1) aquifer response time, which can be expressed in terms of the response to a step hydrological change (τstep ) or periodic change (τcycle ); (2) temporal variation of the dominant hydrological drivers, such as dominant climatic systems in a region; (3) the management timescale and spatial scale of interest. Graphical tools have been developed to examine these factors in conjunction, and assess how important transient behavior is likely to be in response to particular hydrological drivers, and thus which drivers are most likely to induce transience in a specified management timeframe. The method is demonstrated using two case studies; a local system that responds rapidly and is managed on yearly to decadal timeframes and a regional system that exhibits highly delayed responses and was until recently being assessed as a high level nuclear waste repository site. Any practical groundwater resource problem can easily be examined using the proposed framework.

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Section: Drivers Of Transience In Hydrogeological Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Arguably the most important type of driver affecting hydrogeological systems in the current era is anthropogenic activity (Wagener et al 2010). It is widely recognized that in many systems the impact of human activity often overwhelms natural processes (Williams and Crutzen 2013). The major classes of change are:…”

Section: Anthropogenic Hydrological Driversmentioning

confidence: 99%

A New Assessment Framework for Transience in Hydrogeological Systems

Currell¹,

Gleeson

Dahlhaus

2014

Groundwater

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“…[22] Poor management usually culminates in crisis, and so, based on the way the Anthropocene has been managed so far, it will likely unfold as a series of crises that we will only confront when public opinion crosses key tipping points, probably lagging behind, rather than leading, tipping points in biogeochemical systems. This is an especially likely scenario for climate change driven by anthropogenic CO 2 emissions.…”

Section: The Coming Climate Crisismentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing the Anthropocene

et al. 2016

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Environmental context. We are entering an epoch -the Anthropocene -in which human activity is changing the face of the planet. To stabilise climate, we may consider deliberate intervention into Earth's systems, on a global scale. Responsible stewardship requires that we develop a safe, economic and environmentally acceptable means of sequestering CO 2 from the atmosphere.Abstract. The Anthropocene is an evolutionary transition to an epoch in which human activity has become one of the most important Earth systems. To successfully navigate this transition, we must develop a fully integrated environmental science that anticipates the responses of the human system alongside other Earth systems. Applying this perspective to climate change, the signature global environmental challenge in the early part of the Anthropocene, we analyse the ongoing failures of climate policy and the prospects for serious investment in technologies to remove CO 2 from the atmosphere.

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“…[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] (although some arguments have been made that it started with agricultural activities around the beginning of the Holocene 11 600 years ago, 11 with others arguing for much later times, the late 1940's and early 1950's 12 ). Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Introductory lecture: atmospheric chemistry in the Anthropocene

Finlayson-Pitts

2017

Faraday Discuss.

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The term “Anthropocene” was coined by Professor Paul Crutzen in 2000 to describe an unprecedented era in which anthropogenic activities are impacting planet Earth on a global scale. Greatly increased emissions into the atmosphere, reflecting the advent of the Industrial Revolution, have caused significant changes in both the lower and upper atmosphere. Atmospheric reactions of the anthropogenic emissions and of those with biogenic compounds have significant impacts on human health, visibility, climate and weather. Two activities that have had particularly large impacts on the troposphere are fossil fuel combustion and agriculture, both associated with a burgeoning population. Emissions are also changing due to alterations in land use. This paper describes some of the tropospheric chemistry associated with the Anthropocene, with emphasis on areas having large uncertainties. These include heterogeneous chemistry such as those of oxides of nitrogen and the neonicotinoid pesticides, reactions at liquid interfaces, organic oxidations and particle formation, the role of sulfur compounds in the Anthropocene and biogenic–anthropogenic interactions. A clear and quantitative understanding of the connections between emissions, reactions, deposition and atmospheric composition is central to developing appropriate cost-effective strategies for minimizing the impacts of anthropogenic activities. The evolving nature of emissions in the Anthropocene places atmospheric chemistry at the fulcrum of determining human health and welfare in the future.

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Perspectives on our planet in the Anthropocene

Cited by 28 publications

References 69 publications

A New Assessment Framework for Transience in Hydrogeological Systems

A New Assessment Framework for Transience in Hydrogeological Systems

Addressing the Anthropocene

Introductory lecture: atmospheric chemistry in the Anthropocene

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