Setting the AnthropoScene

Before delving into the content of this blog, in this first post, I would briefly like to explain what this blog aims to entail and why I think it is a topic worth exploring.

The coining of the term 'Anthropocene' originated from a publication by Paul J. Crutzen and Eugene F. Stoermer. The Oxford Dictionary defines the Anthropocene as ‘relating to or denoting the current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on the climate and the environment’. The notion of this new epoch is due to be formally ratified by the International Commission on Stratigraphy, with a target date of 2016. Anson Mackay refers to a golden spike, which marks the end of one geological era and the beginning of another. These are most commonly distinct, sharp vicissitudes of biological fossils or sedimentology.

In the following posts, I shall set the scene for my blog by discussing these questions:

1. What is an epoch?
2. What is the Anthropocene?
3. How does it differ from the age of the Holocene?
4. What are the most widely debated golden spikes?

The beginning of the Anthropocene and its effects on Earth are widely debated. Not many understand the implications of a new age. We cannot remain ignorant to the future that is knocking on our door. As an Economic Geographer, my hope is to hone in on the less explored aspect of this new age: the global and local economy.

Here's some food for thought until my next post. Enjoy :) 

Before It’s News   (top left)

Planet Under Pressure   (bottom right)