Welcome to the Anthropocene
The term
Anthropocene was coined to take into account the impact of the accelerated accumulation of greenhouse gases on climate and biodiversity, and the irreversible damage caused by over-consumption of natural resources. This edition of the
UNESCO Courier examines whether this heralds a new geological epoch. While the debate continues among scientists, solutions must be found, as societies around the world engage in collective denial - the result of a naive faith in progress, consumerist ideology and economic lobbies. Human beings have acquired the power of a geological force that may, drive another Great Extinction in the next 300 to 600 years. It may not be easy, argues historian Dipesh Chakrabarty, but it is not too late to change course.
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0026/002619/261900e.pdf
Related Articles: