Earth Entering New Geological Epoch, Scientists Say Agencia EFE
go to original January 22, 2016

5 Ways Humans Have Changed the Earth (SciShow)

The evidence that the Earth has entered a new geological epoch as a result of the impact of human activity is overwhelming, according to a new study by the 24 scientists who make up the Anthropocene Working Group.

This new epoch - called Anthropocene from the Greek word "anthropo" (human) - began in the mid-20th century and was signaled by massive use of materials such as aluminum, concrete and plastics, and by the advent of nuclear weapons testing, the group says in a paper published in the journal Science.

The scientists set out to determine to what extent the impact of human activity can be measured in geological strata and in what way the Anthropocene epoch differs from the Holocene, which began some 11,700 years ago with the end of the last glacial period.

The Holocene witnessed the gradual development of human societies, with the establishment of agriculture and cities accompanied by a relatively inefficient exploitation of natural resources.

By contract, the Anthropocene is a time of rapid environmental change caused by growing populations and increasing consumption, particularly after the "Great Acceleration" that followed World War II.

Read the rest at La Prensa

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