MReport: In the Journals
Geology: The Age of Aquarius? Not quite – it’s the Anthropocene Epoch, say the scientists and Nobel prize winner who suggest that the Earth has entered a new age of geological time. The term Anthropocene (New Man) Epoch, proposed by the researchers, comes from the interaction between humans and their environment and the changes that this has brought to the world in the past two centuries. Recent human activity, including stunning population growth, sprawling megacities and increased use of fossil fuels, have changed the planet to such an extent that we are entering a new era, says the article published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. “The Anthropocene represents a new phase in the history of both humankind and of the Earth, when natural forces and human forces became intertwined, so that the fate of one determines the fate of the other. Geologically, this is a remarkable episode in the history of this planet,” explain the scientists. They also warn that the dawning of this new era may include the sixth largest mass extinction in the Earth’s history, due to consequences from human activity, such as global climate change and plant and animal extinctions. Looks like the fate of the world is, indeed, in our hands. Read More…
