Earth Has Entered a New Geologic Age, Experts Say

The Age of Aquarius? Not quite -- It's the Anthropocene Epoch, say the scientists writing in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. And they add that the dawning of this new epoch may include the sixth largest mass extinction in Earth's history.

The scientists propose that, in just two centuries, humans have wrought such vast and unprecedented changes to our world that we actually might be ushering in a new geological time interval, and alter the planet for millions of years.

Zalasiewicz, Williams, Steffen and Crutzen contend that recent human activity, including stunning population growth, sprawling megacities and increased use of fossil fuels, have changed the planet to such an extent that we are entering what they call the Anthropocene (New Man) Epoch.

Science Daily

That's pretty remarkable, and also a little depressing if you dwell on the negative impact we humans have had on mother Earth in such a short period of time. We're able to usher in changes that naturally occur over Ages and Epochs, in just a few centuries. It makes you wonder what future generations will think of us thousands of years from now, if we last that long. I guess what it'll come down to is how we handle the next couple of decades, I'm sure we could still stand to make things a lot worse if we're not more careful and don't start being more conscious of our existence.

reply to post by ZombieOctopus


Interesting. While I agree we are not treating the planet very well I think Mother Earth will easily recover after we're gone. We think we're so great and that we've altered the planet forever but in the end I feel the Earth will shrug our impacts and off and get back to doing what it does best.

Problem is how to deal with 6 Billion and counting of us pesky humans and the worst part is we KNOW we're having this horrific impact and yet we just keep spreading across the Earth as though purposefully plotting the suicide of our species.

Let's hope we learn our lessons and make this new geologic age better for our existence rather than worse because of it.

reply to post by Titen-Sxull


Oh yeah, the Earth itself will definitely be just fine, I was confining my thoughts to an Earthly environment that would support life as we know it. If we go outside that range, sure the Earth itself would be ok, but most of the species on it would die out... maybe over millions of years new species would evolve from the survivors, but not likely something else sentient for a second time.


[edit on 3/28/2010 by ZombieOctopus]

Having implemented EU enviromental legislation I have grave doubts that man is the cuase of all these things.. I also have deep feelings that the current method of passing Enviormental legislation to the Corporate world to implemet is anything other than insane..

But Humans do not treat the planet respectfully, and will not change while we live in an coporate spun, single use, throw away, wastefull society of consumers.

In the history of mankind society has reached the point of wastefull consumers on many occations.. (see fall of Rome etc) the problem is at the stage where humans become wastefull is just before the deck of cards that is that current version of society begins to fall and that society crumbles.

Perhaps this time we will learn to take another path.. I don't feel that humans are the root cause of these enviromental problems, but I do feel we could do a lot to resolve many of the issues we face.

[edit on 28/3/10 by thoughtsfull]

A thought occured to me whilst reading this and maybe its to simplistic to cover the whole extintion of species but here goes:

Extintions of speceis has happend without us millions of times over the life of the earth at times 90% of the worlds bio-diversity was bumped off. So as we humans are part of nature in an species context could it mean mother nature is using us to bump off species?

Its of course not a justification of what we do to the planet in some places but could it be part of the plan.

reply to post by ZombieOctopus


Scientists are always blah blah blahing - and no-one ever names these so-called scientists.

Who is to say it isn't just news-hungry journalists?

Whatever is going to happen will happen, regardless

I view this as very interesting.

The extinction event will include most of us.

clue...when everyone leaves the ISS then the SWHTF soon.

The Egyptians were onto something when they studied the sun, we are on the cusp of a solar/magnetic fluff event...lol

We have done nothing, ofcourse we are not nice to Mother, but, Earth have no problems, it is US that have the problem and we tend to believe that if we give all our money into the grand Pot of the System, they will make it go away, pretty cynical and if this was true in some way, the Govts would have been doing something about it in a joint effort with all nations free of charge,' oops , no more money? okey, lets sitt down and die', nah..I think not...

Sure changes are upon us, it is cyclic, can't be changed and Im not paying one dime for it either, it just goes to the Folks that need better private-jet's and bigger limo's.. Sorry..

When Al Gore and Obama starts bicycling, then I'll start taking it serious..

Not before... I dont toss garbage on the street, I dont have the lights on in the Rooms Im not using, and I try not to toss away food etc..

[edit on 28/3/2010 by ChemBreather]

Originally posted by ZombieOctopus

The Age of Aquarius? Not quite -- It's the Anthropocene Epoch, say the scientists writing in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. And they add that the dawning of this new epoch may include the sixth largest mass extinction in Earth's history.

The scientists propose that, in just two centuries, humans have wrought such vast and unprecedented changes to our world that we actually might be ushering in a new geological time interval, and alter the planet for millions of years.

Zalasiewicz, Williams, Steffen and Crutzen contend that recent human activity, including stunning population growth, sprawling megacities and increased use of fossil fuels, have changed the planet to such an extent that we are entering what they call the Anthropocene (New Man) Epoch.

Science Daily

That's pretty remarkable, and also a little depressing if you dwell on the negative impact we humans have had on mother Earth in such a short period of time. We're able to usher in changes that naturally occur over Ages and Epochs, in just a few centuries. It makes you wonder what future generations will think of us thousands of years from now, if we last that long. I guess what it'll come down to is how we handle the next couple of decades, I'm sure we could still stand to make things a lot worse if we're not more careful and don't start being more conscious of our existence.

ah,haa... I was wondering how soon after Copenhagen before something like this would raise it's ugly head ;
World governments: damn!! We sure messed that one up,and we came sooooo close to sucking them in to fattening our coffers with M-MGW and carbon tax.
Corporate lobbyists: Don't worry, you didn't think we came without a plan B did you ?
Let's all take a few month's break sunning it up in the Maldives and living it up on our fat bonuses,
and once the heat (couldn't resist the pun!) is off, we'll hit them with the terror of "Anthropocene (New Man) Epoch" and demand an anthropocene tax instead.
World governments: schweeeet!


edit to add: Mea Culpa, Oh Mea Culpa!

[edit on 28/3/10 by asIam]

Uhoh...the earths going to end! . Makes me wonder whats (really) going to end this planet.

i think it comes down to survival of the fittest. As Titan said we over-exaggerate our own abilities and inabilities.
The dinosaurs no doubt altered there world with their actions and we are foolish to think we could survive on this stinking rock with the stinking people we hate if it wasn't supposed to be!

Why doesn't DOG< come and kick our asses back into line if we are all so damn bad? Because we are the masters of our own destiny and when survival becomes a necessity, we prevail!

reply to post by asIam


You will get Cap'n Trade, dont doubt that for one minute, 75-75% of the american people did not want the HC passed, they stuffed it thru regardless, the will with th Cap too, it is their agenda, not ours..

There is a Climate summit in Bali or is it Rio this coming April or May, (not much surtenties here.) and they will agree on the Climate 'laws' in peace without any demonstrations by crazy Anti-Earth'ers......

And in December, we will get notefied about the new laws 'they' agreed upon in April/May and we again have had No Say in it...

' Their Agenda , Not Ours '

www.abovetopsecret.com...

may answer a few questions for you!.

reply to post by ChemBreather

Wipes grin off and puts serious face on .
Perhaps, perhaps not.
Big tide reversal against MMGW in Oz over the last 5 months or so amongst the populace and we have elections within the next 14 months....that matters,
it'll be a ticket that's for sure, but it'd be brave the man or woman who tries to ride that bus to the finishing line,pretty much run out of revs that lie.
Methinks Superboy Abbot might use that reversal for a piggyback in....
god knows he needs one .
Or Rudd might try to be gracious in defeat due to his slumping popularity and do a Howard...."I promise I NEVER will put GST on the table again!"

grins are back on.
...I had a great day on the beach even ATS can't dampen

reply to post by asIam


It says in the Article : ' in amatter of decades' ? More decades? They are always saying decades because by that time, our generation will have forgotten the whole thing, and they can preach upon and scare the next generations.

It is clearly proven that all these 'decades never comes, the Glacier scares turned out to be bogus too, the Ipcc hadnt even done any research on it, they just conluded that it would melt and flood the world by 2035, and when the IPCC got pressured to look thru their claims, it turnes out it was an Typo, it wanst 2035 but 2350, now, was it deliberate or an honest mistake ? Who knows, I think think it fits 'by intent' as it fits the Al Gore scarecity... just logic...

And seriously, if the Ice all of the sudden started to melt incredbly fast, it is not our doings unless all the soon to be 7 billion humans started to exersize .. All that deadly carbone you know..

Originally posted by catwhoknows
Scientists are always blah blah blahing - and no-one ever names these so-called scientists.

Who is to say it isn't just news-hungry journalists?

Well given the fact that I have a book entitled 'The Sixth Extinction: Biodiversity and it's survival' sat on my bookshelf I should imagine that Richard Leakey and Roger Lewin are two of those scientist. It is just a shame that the media has taken 15 years to pick up on the story.

Originally posted by catwhoknows
Whatever is going to happen will happen, regardless

Mass extinction is avoidable, but we have to act to avoid it, passivity is not an option.

Thread already ongoing
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Yeah...

More fear mongering from the " Humans Are Causing Climate Change" group of scientists.

There's no way for them to know whether or not we would be the cause, no insrument can measure what the world was composed of or what caused these mass extinctions.

My money is on the Sun. We are far too insignificant. We do have some bad habits when it comes to Mother Earth, however, she is in no way threatened by us.

We should be wary of her wrath.

~Keeper

[edit on 3/28/2010 by tothetenthpower]