Are humans having such a potent effect on the planet that we are entering a new era? Some say we are already in that era:The term anthropocene is used by some scientists to describe the current period in the Earth's history when human activities have had a significant global impact on the Earth's ecosystems. It has no precise start date, but may be considered to start with the Industrial Revolution (late 18th century).[1] Other commentators link it to earlier events, such as the rise of agriculture. The term was coined in 2000 by the Nobel Prize-winning atmospheric chemist Paul Crutzen, who regards the influence of human behavior on the Earth in recent centuries as so significant as to constitute a new geological era. Use of this concept as an official geological concept gained support in early 2008, with publication of two new papers supporting the idea.
Sources:
Wikipeida Anthopocene
1. Crutzen, P. J., and E. F. Stoermer (2000). "The 'Anthropocene'". Global Change Newsletter 41: 17–18.
2. a b Zalasiewicz, Jan; et al. (February 2008). "Are we now living in the Anthropocene?". GSA Today 18 (2): 4–8.
