The world is experiencing a concerning rise in temperature, and its crucial support systems are deteriorating. Since 2009, a dedicated group of geologists and scientists have been working diligently on a mission of great significance. On Tuesday, they will reveal their final findings—the exact location of ground-zero for the Anthropocene, a proposed geological epoch resulting from humanity’s significant impact on the planet. Essentially, the Anthropocene Working Group was tasked with answering three key questions by the authorities in Earth’s geological timeline. The first question, in essence, is whether future extraterrestrial beings would be able to identify a distinct human signature in Earth’s layered rocks and sediment, serving as a clear geological boundary. The Working Group concluded that indeed, human activities and behaviors have disrupted the planet and its inhabitants, marking the end of the Holocene epoch which began 11,700 years ago after the last ice age. The world is becoming unbearably hot, and the systems that sustain life are failing. According to the Working Group, the “epoch of humans,” which was initially proposed by Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen in 2002, should be designated as starting in the mid-20th century. This period witnessed a significant surge in greenhouse gas concentrations, microplastic pollution, invasive species, traces of radiation from nuclear testing, and various other indicators of our species’ growing influence, commonly referred to as the Great Acceleration. We have observed a notable increase in greenhouse gas concentrations, microplastic pollution, and other signs of the ‘Great Acceleration’. This brings us to the question of the “golden spike”—a single deposit in a lake, coral reef, ice core, or another geological repository that best represents the Anthropocene. The “winner” will be announced on Tuesday during joint press conferences at the Max Planck Society in Berlin and a gathering of scientists from the working group in Lille, France. A paradigm shift The recommendations presented by the Working Group, after their lengthy and dedicated efforts, must now undergo validation from skeptical and rigorous scientists at the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) and, on a higher level, the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). According to nearly everyone involved, the chances of the recommendations being accepted are slim. At a superficial level, the ongoing debates revolve around technicalities—geologists arguing whether the Anthropocene meets the precise criteria for inclusion in the International Chronostratigraphic Chart, which represents the planet’s official 4.6-billion-year timeline. Some geologists argue that it doesn’t meet the technical requirements, although they recognize that a significant disruption has occurred. Simultaneously, defining the end of the Holocene and the start of a new epoch would compel us to confront the devastating impact of humanity. For the first time in history, a single species has not only dramatically altered the planet’s physical characteristics, chemistry, and biology but is also aware of having done so. Scientists have identified nine boundaries that define the limits of human activity. Crutzen, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for identifying the artificial chemicals responsible for damaging the ozone layer, hoped that the concept and reality of the Anthropocene would shift our focus towards the challenges that lie ahead. He stated at a symposium in 2011 that it could potentially lead to a paradigm shift in scientific thinking. Today, many scientists who study the intricate interconnections within Earth’s systems agree. Johan Rockstrom, the director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, stated, “It’s the recognition that, ‘Oh my God, we have tipping points. Oh my God, the Holocene is the only state that can support us.” He further emphasized that the paradigm shift lies in the realization that we are transitioning from the Holocene to the Anthropocene. Minefield of resistance However, many scientists, including influential gatekeepers who advocate against the official acknowledgment of the Anthropocene as a distinct epoch, remain unconvinced. Phil Gibbard, the Secretary of the ICS, stated in a podcast last year that the conditions leading to glaciation—an occurrence that has taken place multiple times over the past million years—have not changed. Consequently, it is possible that the Holocene is simply another interglacial period, and this pattern could continue for another 50 million years. As for the Anthropocene, Gibbard has proposed referring to it as an “event” encompassing thousands of years of human-induced changes to the environment. He explains that in geology, an event can range from a single raindrop impacting a lump of clay to the Great Oxidation Event, which transformed Earth’s atmosphere around 2.2 billion years ago. However, Jan Zalasiewicz, a respected geologist who led the Anthropocene Working Group through a multitude of evidence and resistance for over a decade, deems this perspective inadequate. He asserts that failing to formally ratify the concept would create the impression that the Holocene conditions that allowed human civilization to flourish still exist. “Clearly, they do not,” he states. “I am concerned that if the term ‘Anthropocene’ continues to have different interpretations, it will lose its significance and fade away.” Ultimately, Zalasiewicz emphasizes that the evidence is our only guide. He states, “Science aims to establish what is real and what is not. And the Anthropocene is real.”
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