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The advent of the anthropocene era

A review of primary and secondary research indicates^[1] that many scientists^[2]have concluded that the era of naturally determined climate process is over in that the processes which occur on the planet as a whole, are now determined in large degree by the largely inadvertent activities of humans. A growing number of peer reviewed publications have adopted the terminology^[3]

Popularization of the concept

There have been books with tittles that emphasize this point. Examples include “The .End of Ancient Sunlight” by Tom Hartman, which emphasizes that the ancient carboniferous fossil fuel deposits will no longer provide viable energy sources. Another is by Bill McKibben, The End of Nature. The point to that is that nature is no longer entirely natural, it is not nature as such but rather nature as it manages to survive the actions of humans.

The word designating this new situation is a designation for a whole new era in geologic time: the Anthropocene Era. This indicates that it is the activities of humanity which determines the fate of the planet.

Another title, The Permanent Emergency, underscores that radical new approaches will be required insofar as the situation is an emergency. Moreover, the problems won't go away anytime soon. What little light there is at the end of the tunnel is largely dependent upon technology, but unfortunately there is still a great deal of resistance to those very measures – research and development – which are essential to save the planet.