Anthropocene

Question 1

What is the Anthropocene?

Answer 1

• Anthropos (ἄνθρωπος) = “human“ + -cene from kainos (καινός) = “new” or “recent”
• Popularized by the Dutch Nobel Prize winner and climatologist Paul Crutzen in 2000
• The Anthropocene is a proposed epoch dating from the commencement of significant human impact on the Earth’s geology and ecosystems, including, but not limited to, anthropogenic climate change
• Much debate on the exact meaning and starting date of the Anthropocene → See Smith & Zeder (2013)
• E.g. from the First migration of humans out of Africa (ca. 60,000 YBP) to the fall-out of the first nuclear explosion (1945 AD)
• Not officially acknowledged term for a subdivision of geological time

Question 2

When did the antropocene start? (5 possible starting points)

Answer 2

1. mega extinctions
   fossil based, clearly distinguishable, adequate thickness, not globally applicable
2. agriculture
   fossil based, clearly distinguishable, adequate thickness, not globally applicable
3. Columbian exchange
   fossil based, clearly distinguishable, adequate thickness, globally applicable???
4. Industrial revolution
   fossil based, clearly distinguishable, NO adequate thickness, globally applicable?
5. Great acceleration
   fossil based, clearly distinguishable, NO adequate thickness, globally applicable

Question 3

What is the great acceleration?

Answer 3

1. Increase in human activity and its impact on earth’s natural system
2. Changes in socioeconomic and earth system trends
3. Linked to global population

Question 4

What are the 9 characteristics of TGA?

Answer 4

1. Anthropogenic mass increase
2. SO2 emmission increase
3. More consumption of nitrogen fertilizer
4. world energy consumption
5. more invasive species
6. increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations
7. global warming
8. socio economic indicators (Poupulation, water use, paper production, tourism ed)
9. earth system indicators (Surface temperature, tropical forest loss, domesticated land, ocean acidification

Question 5

What are the … characteristics of the sustainability transition?

Answer 5

1. population shrink
2. ozon concentrations decreased
3. sulfur dioxide emmissions decreased
4. reforestation
5. solar energy
6. wind energy

Question 6

Symbiocene

Answer 6

Balancing nature, humans and technology