When Did the Anthropocene Actually Begin?
Scientists want to pinpoint the technology that marked when humanity became a “geological superpower.” On the short list: the H-bomb and the modern chicken......»»
Interdisciplinary environmental history: How narratives of the past can meet the challenges of the Anthropocene
The stories historians tell about society and climate typically take one of two forms: stories in which societies experience catastrophic collapse due to climate change and stories in which societies show resilience, riding out climatic disasters due.....»»
World on fire: How do we adapt to a hotter planet?
Researchers around the globe agree: the Earth is getting warmer and warmer, extreme weather such as heat waves and long droughts increase the risk of wildfires. The group Wildfires in the Anthropocene at the Pufendorf Institute connects researchers f.....»»
Humans have totally altered small mammal communities in just a few centuries
Researchers have found that small mammal communities today are fundamentally different from even a few centuries ago, during North America's pre-colonial past. They identified small mammal remains from the Anthropocene and archaeological Holocene alo.....»»
Defining the Anthropocene: Radioactive traces in ocean materials mark the start of the modern age
For the first time, researchers can offer a strong quantitative definition for the start of what is known as the Anthropocene, thanks to traces of radioactive material in marine sediments and corals. The Anthropocene period is considered important by.....»»
Environment scientists close in on "golden spike" to define Anthropocene
Leicester researchers searching for a "golden spike" to formally define humanity's current geological period—and acknowledge human impact on our planet—have announced a major step in their analysis at an international conference on Wednesday......»»
The term "Anthropocene" isn"t perfect, but it shows us the scale of the environmental crisis we"ve caused
Earlier this year, scientists identified early warning signs of the collapse of the Gulf Stream, an ocean current that influences the climate of the North American east coast and much of western Europe......»»
Deep roots of the Anthropocene can be found in tropical forests
A new special edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showcases multidisciplinary approaches to exploring human impacts on tropical forests and their associated earth systems......»»
Half of Guadeloupe"s snakes and lizards went extinct after European colonization
In recent years, the evidence of human impacts on Earth's systems has caused researchers to call for recognition of a new epoch, the Anthropocene, in which human activity is a major driver of climate and ecosystem change. However, despite growing evi.....»»
How many Anthropocenes
The Anthropocene, in its brief but vivid history, has developed many faces. A new study from the University of Leicester suggests how these can add up to a wider understanding......»»
Paul Crutzen, who shared Nobel for ozone work, has died
Paul J. Crutzen, a Dutch scientist who won the Nobel Prize for chemistry for his work understanding the ozone hole and is credited with coining the term Anthropocene to describe the geological era shaped by mankind, has died......»»
A new archaeology for the Anthropocene era
Indiana Jones and Lara Croft have a lot to answer for. Public perceptions of archaeology are often thoroughly outdated, and these characterisations do little to help. Archaeology as practiced today bears virtually no resemblance to the tomb raiding p.....»»