One could contend that the Anthropocene began earlier, at the turn of the 15th century, with the arrival of European imperial expansion around the world. According to many, a new, unofficial epoch, the Anthropocene, began in the 1950s indicating the point at which humanity has had an unprecedented impact on the planet. The debate is ongoing between the many geologists who believe that we are still in the Holocene and other scientists who believe that the Holocene ended between the 1800s (the Industrial Revolution) and the 1950s (the Great Acceleration). This is the period in which the Earth, after undergoing some majorly turbulent internal and external events, finally hit the sweet spot (with some exceptions) of climate stability that made it possible for humanity to settle, begin farming, and build civilisations. The Holocene began almost 12,000 years ago, after the last significant ice age. The idea is that this epoch is completely new. Hólos is Greek for ‘whole’ while -cene comes from the Greek word kainos, meaning ‘new’. I am certain that I am not alone when I think to myself, “Have we really, truly, permanently changed the planet? And are we scientifically past the point of no return?” This is not an unexplored question in fact, this simple but grave question has ignited a fresh debate amongst geologists and conservationists tasked with designating the historical period in which we live.Īccording to the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), the official institution in charge of defining Earth’s time scale, we are currently in the Holocene. Anthropology, Environment, and Development MSc, 2022-23
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