Anthropocene : A Very Short Introduction

Anthropocene : A Very Short IntroductionAuthor: Ellis, Erle C. (Professor of Geography and Environmental Systems at the University of Maryland) Geology & the lithosphere Published on 22 March 2018 by OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS in the United Kingdom as part of 'the Very Short Introductions' series. Paperback softback 208 pages, 45 black and white images 175 x 110 x 11 182g The proposal that the impact of humanity on the planet has left a distinct footprint, even on the scale of geological time,

Author: Ellis, Erle C. (Professor of Geography and Environmental Systems at the University of Maryland)

Geology & the lithosphere

Published on 22 March 2018 by OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS in the United Kingdom as part of 'the Very Short Introductions' series.

Paperback / softback | 208 pages, 45 black and white images
175 x 110 x 11 | 182g

The proposal that the impact of humanity on the planet has left a distinct footprint, even on the scale of geological time, has recently gained much ground. Global climate change, shifting global cycles of the weather, widespread pollution, radioactive fallout, plastic accumulation, species invasions, the mass extinction of species - these are just some of the many indicators that we will leave a lasting record in rock, the scientific basis for recognizing new time intervals in Earth's history. The Anthropocene, as the proposed new epoch has been named, is regularly in the news. Even with such robust evidence, the proposal to formally recognize our current time as the Anthropocene remains controversial both inside and outside the scholarly world, kindling intense debates. The reason is clear. The Anthropocene represents far more than just another interval of geologic time. Instead, the Anthropocene has emerged as a powerful new narrative, a concept through which age-old questions about the meaning of nature and even the nature of humanity are being revisited and radically revised. This Very Short Introduction explains the science behind the Anthropocene and the many proposals about when to mark its beginning: the nuclear tests of the 1950s? The beginnings of agriculture? The origins of humans as a species? Erle Ellis considers the many ways that the Anthropocene's 'evolving paradigm' is reshaping the sciences, stimulating the humanities, and foregrounding the politics of life on a planet transformed by humans. The Anthropocene remains a work in progress. Is this the story of an unprecedented planetary disaster? Or of newfound wisdom and redemption? Ellis offers an insightful discussion of our role in shaping the planet, and how this will influence our future on many fronts.

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