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Authors:William Brian (Badger) Bates, Long Chu, Hozaus Claire, Matthew J Colloff, Robert Cotton, Ruby Davies, Libby Larsen, Glenn Loughrey, Ana Manero, Virginia Marshall, Sarah Martin, Nhat-Mai Nguyen, William Nikolakis, Anne Poelina, Daniel Schulz, Katherine Selena Taylor, John Williams, Paul Wyrwoll, R Quentin Grafton Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. Two of Australia’s iconic river systems, Baaka in New South Wales (NSW) and Martuwarra in Western Australia (WA), are described in a narrative that connects Indigenous custodianship, bio-physical features and art, and contrasts settler law with First Law to provide multiple ways of seeing the two river systems. Our narrative is a shared response to: (1) upstream water extractions that have imposed large costs on Baaka and its peoples; and (2) threats of water extractions and developments to Martuwarra. By scribing the voices of the two river systems, we have created a space to reimagine an emerging future that connects the past and present through the concept of ‘EveryWhen’, where First Law has primacy, and where art connects Indigenous knowledges to non-Indigenous understanding. Through a dialogue process with Indigenous knowledge holders, artists and water researchers, five action processes, or journeys, are identified to guide water decision making towards water justice. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-07-18T09:02:21Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196231186962
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Authors:Pauline Picot, Bertrand Guillaume Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. The notion of ‘technosphere’ has been proposed to refer to the whole of technological infrastructures, stressing the importance of technology in the Anthropocene. Peter K Haff introduced it in the field of Earth System Science a decade ago. His argument entangles the claim of the technosphere’s uncontrollability with an attempt to overcome anthropocentrism. We develop a critical analysis of this proposal, enriched by a literature review. The idea of a ‘technosphere’ has been present in the scientific literature for at least 50 years. We provide an analysis of the evolution of the uses of the ‘technosphere’ before Haff’s publications. Then, we discuss in which ways Haff’s contribution is in continuity or rupture with these older views. Finally, we argue that the technosphere has little relevance when addressing the question of technology controllability and for overcoming anthropocentrism. This leads us to introduce an alternative proposal to the technosphere: ‘technodiversity’. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-07-12T05:33:26Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196231187242
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Authors:Ilan Stavi, Chi Xu, Eli Argaman Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. Land degradation and desertification are widespread across the world’s drylands. These processes are substantially affected by climatic change, with long-term and severe droughts on the one hand, and high intensity rainstorms and devastating floods on the other hand. Simultaneously, land-use change and mismanagement practices have led to processes of accelerated soil erosion, depletion of soil organic carbon pools, and the degradation of extensive drylands. Forestry has been accepted as an effective means for restoring degraded drylands, and for attaining a range of regulating, provisioning, supporting, and cultural ecosystem services. Specifically, forestry is widely perceived as an effective means for soil erosion control, organic carbon sequestration, microclimate improvement, and climate change mitigation. However, forestry in drylands often proves to generate substantial environmental challenges, resulting in deterioration of ecosystem functions and health. The objective of this essay is to review the challenges and opportunities induced by dryland afforestation and reforestation, and highlight the need to attain climate-smart strategies for establishing and managing these land-uses. Particularly, tree species invasion and allelopathy, which are common in dryland forestry projects, jeopardize species richness and diversity of native vegetation communities. Further, the challenges linked with tree invasiveness necessitate predicting the distribution of potentially invasive species and foreseeing their impacts on the recipient ecosystems under projected climate change scenarios. The effect of allelopathy is significant under limited water availability conditions and is expected to be determined by the expanding drylands and intensifying aridity worldwide. Therefore, judicious selection of tree species should not only focus on ones with high water-use efficiency, low flammability, high pest resistance, and fast growth, but also on low invasiveness and allelopathic capacities. Insights of this essay may be used by land managers, stakeholders, and policy makers involved in environmental development of drylands. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-06-22T08:50:04Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196231182354
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Authors:Jason Phillips Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. This paper conducts a detailed quantitative study of the indicated long-term levels, nature and dynamics of sustainability at the global spatial scale over time, within the context of the vulnerability of the environment-human relationship and system. In this study, the Sustainability Dynamics Framework is applied to the results of the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative index for the period 1995–2018. The study indicates that the obtained S-values at the global spatial scale throughout the specified period were consistent with very weak unsustainability occurring. Through statistical analysis, the study indicates that the triumvirate of influencing factors (Population, GDP, Greenhouse Gases) have a significant influence and impact individually and cumulatively upon obtained S-values. The study then determines the net change in obtained E, HNI and S-values, and consequently evaluates the dynamics of the rate of change of the Earth System (dE/dt), as defined in the Anthropocene Equation theory. To support this, Fourier analysis of net change of S-values is applied for the first time within the SDF application methodology, using eight time periods of 16 years’ duration over the period 1996–2018. The analysis indicates continuous overlapping cycles of 7 years’ duration, consisting of a lag time of 3 years leading to an impact period of 4 years. The Fourier analysis potentially indicates clearly for the first-time humanity’s footprint signal upon the environment-human relationship and system in the Anthropocene. The study concludes that humanity’s actions and inactions have resulted in the indicated unsustainability and vulnerability of the environment-human relationship and system. As a consequence, there is a potential realistic risk of systemic collapse unless fundamental changes occur in respect to the global environment-human relationship. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-06-07T04:57:18Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196231177697
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Authors:Roy Thompson Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. The article argues that the relationships and historical trends of global temperatures and of fossil-fuel production are now both clear and relatively stable. Hence archival data of past performance allow a ‘speedometer reading’ of current rates of change and enable a direct ‘reality check’ on claims about future climate change. Embedded in a new Hubbert-style resource model the historical rates forecast that surface temperatures remain on course to rise by 4.5°C (6°C over land) by the early 2100s. This unsettling prospect is in close accord with several middle-of-the-road projections in the recent sixth IPCC Assessment Report (2021). Instead, if hoped-for targets of carbon neutrality are to be met and global temperature rises held to well below 2°C, as stipulated in the Paris Agreement, then the current rate of deployment of clean power sources would need to accelerate by an unprecedented 100-fold, to around 50 EJ year−1, within the decade. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-06-03T09:57:38Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196231177686
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Authors:Rein Taagepera, Miroslav Nemčok Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. Enormous growth of the world population during the last two centuries and its present slowing down pose questions about precedents in history and broader forces shaping the population size. Population estimates collected in an extensive survey of literature (873 estimates from 25 studies covering 1,000,000 BCE to 2100 CE) show that world population growth has proceeded in two distinct phases of acceleration followed by stoppage—from at least 25,000 BCE to 100 BCE, and from 400 CE to the present, interrupted by centuries of standstill and 10% decrease. Both phases can be fitted with a mathematical function that projects to a peak at 11.2 ± 1.5 billion around 2100 CE. An interaction model can account for this acceleration-stoppage pattern in quantitative detail: Technology grows exponentially, with rate boosted by population. Population grows exponentially, capped by Earth’s carrying capacity. Technology raises this cap, but only until it approaches Earth’s ultimate carrying capacity. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-05-17T04:46:32Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196231172423
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Authors:Igor Mautinović, Robert E Ulanowicz, Domagoj Vlah Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. We use a simulation model to explore the theoretical impact of technology, recycling, household propensity for material consumption, and nature conservation policies on economic growth and possible stabilization of the global economy within biophysical boundaries. The model dynamics, which arise from the autocatalytic loop between production and household sectors that deplete finite natural resources, qualitatively reproduce historically observed global GDP growth. The simulation results show that a sustainable but unstable steady-state can be reasonably reached only by the simultaneous application of policies that increase nature conservation and promote environmentally efficient technologies, a circular economy, and less-intensive material lifestyles. These policy measures, if realized, would reflect the anticipatory behavior of the human system to prevent future hazards by taking adequate actions in the present. The unstable steady-state suggests long-term sustainability would depend on continuous behavioral, institutional, and policy adjustments rooted in anticipatory behavior. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-05-09T04:53:35Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196231170369
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Authors:Jason Phillips Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the keystone policy framework for countries to achieve sustainable development. However, in fulfilling the SDGs, there is no definitive evaluation of the potential long-term outcomes upon the level, nature, and dynamics of global sustainability. This is crucial to understand, as otherwise, governments and societies may implement policies which achieve the SDGs, but are detrimental to the long-term global co-evolutionary environment-human relationship and system. Therefore, this paper determines and evaluates the potential global sustainability outcomes of the implementation of the SDGs for the specified period of 1990–2050. This is achieved by the application of the Sustainability Dynamics Framework to the results of the Earth3 model. The Earth3 model evaluated the degree of success of implementing the SDGs in respect to four development scenarios: (1) Same (business-as-usual); (2) Faster; (3) Harder and (4) Smarter. The results from the SDF application indicate that Scenario 4 (Smarter) had the best potential outcomes of the scenarios evaluated, approaching a borderline weak-strong sustainability state by the end of the specified period. The other scenarios had relatively stagnant levels of very weak sustainability. Based upon the results obtained, the broader context and implications are discussed, primarily in respect to the role and impact of the SDGs. The paper concludes by stating that humanity as a species needs to fundamentally transform its relationship with the environment, or risk being lost not only as a species, but also to the planet as well. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-05-06T09:16:51Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196231170367
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Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print.
Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-05-02T12:41:06Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196231172714
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Authors:Frank Oldfield Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. Will Steffen’s death has prompted the present article that attempts to summarise the many aspects of his contribution to our understanding of Earth System science, his role as an outstanding leader and communicator and the affection and respect he earned from his many colleagues, friends and associates. Personal recollections of Will from his time as Executive Director of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) and as contributor to and fellow editor of the Anthropocene Review are also included. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-04-29T08:14:41Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196231170366
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Authors:Magdalena Daria Vaverková, Eugeniusz Koda Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. The Anthropocene is generally defined as a postulated new geological epoch, which, according to various authors, began in the 20th century. The postulated Anthropocene Epoch is characterized by a decrease in biodiversity, climate change, transformations of the Earth’s surface, exploitation of natural resources, and environmental pollution. Waste landfills influence some of these features (e.g. biodiversity and climate change, create new anthropostratigraphic geological layers); therefore, they should also be a matter of interest and research conducted in order to become considered as a subsequent postulate confirming the Anthropocene Epoch. This paper draws attention to the fact that environments created and dominated by human activity, such as waste landfills, may be used as an effective starting point to confirm the new Anthropocene Epoch. Waste landfills contribute significantly to geological, climatic, environmental, and ecological changes (modification). Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-04-22T06:09:24Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196231170370
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Authors:Yongming Han, An Zhisheng, Dewen Lei, Weijian Zhou, Luyuan Zhang, Xue Zhao, Dongna Yan, Richard Arimoto, Neil L Rose, Sarah L Roberts, Li Li, Yalan Tang, Xingqi Liu, Xuewu Fu, Tobias Schneider, Xiaolin Hou, Jianghu Lan, Liangcheng Tan, Xingxing Liu, Jing Hu, Yunning Cao, Weiguo Liu, Feng Wu, Tianli Wang, Xiaoke Qiang, Ning Chen, Peng Cheng, Yifei Hao, Qiyuan Wang, Guoqiang Chu, Meiling Guo, Mei Han, Zhihai Tan, Chong Wei, Ulrike Dusek Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. Sihailongwan Maar Lake, located in Northeast China, is a candidate Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for demarcation of the Anthropocene. The lake’s varved sediments are formed by alternating allogenic atmospheric inputs and authigenic lake processes and store a record of environmental and human impacts at a continental-global scale. Varve counting and radiometric dating provided a precise annual-resolution sediment chronology for the site. Time series records of radioactive (239,240Pu, 129I and soot 14C), chemical (spheroidal carbonaceous particles, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, soot, heavy metals, δ13C, etc), physical (magnetic susceptibility and grayscale) and biological (environmental DNA) indicators all show rapid changes in the mid-20th century, coincident with clear lithological changes of the sediments. Statistical analyses of these proxies show a tipping point in 1954 CE. 239,240Pu activities follow a typical unimodal globally-distributed profile, and are proposed as the primary marker for the Anthropocene. A rapid increase in 239,240Pu activities at 88 mm depth in core SHLW21-Fr-13 (1953 CE) is synchronous with rapid changes of other anthropogenic proxies and the Great Acceleration, marking the onset of the Anthropocene. The results indicate that Sihailongwan Maar Lake is an ideal site for the Anthropocene GSSP. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-04-01T12:32:52Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196231167019
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Authors:Christoph Rosol, Georg N Schäfer, Simon D Turner, Colin N Waters, Martin J Head, Jan Zalasiewicz, Carlina Rossée, Jürgen Renn, Katrin Klingan, Bernd M Scherer Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. Together with research teams from around the world, the Anthropocene Working Group (AWG) has been meticulously quantifying and scrutinizing the global stratigraphic imprint of human activities, the results of which are gathered in this thematic collection of papers in The Anthropocene Review. How can such empirical research, which so impressively articulates the end of a relatively stable Earth System in the mid-20th century, inform our ways of understanding and responding to the planetary crisis that the geological samples quietly represent' In this afterword to the collection we report and reflect on the joint undertaking of the AWG, Haus der Kulturen der Welt and the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science to bring geoscientific evidence, cultural experimentation and historical contextualization together in a shared public framework. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-03-25T09:48:43Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196231165621
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Authors:Elizabeth R Thomas, Diana O Vladimirova, Dieter R Tetzner, Daniel B Emanuelsson, Jack Humby, Simon D Turner, Neil L Rose, Sarah L Roberts, Pawel Gaca, Andrew B Cundy Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. The remote Antarctic continent, distant from human industrial activity, should be one of the last places on Earth to capture Anthropogenic change. Hence, stratigraphic evidence of pollution and nuclear activity in the Antarctic provides proof of the global nature of the Anthropocene epoch. We propose an Antarctic Peninsula ice core candidate for the Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) to the onset of the Anthropocene. The Palmer ice core captures the first evidence of spheroidal carbonaceous fly ash particles (SCPs), resulting from high temperature combustion deposited in Antarctic ice. SCPs first appear in 1936 CE, preceding the rise in plutonium (239+240Pu) concentrations from 1945 CE onwards. GSSP 1952 CE occurs at a depth of 34.9 m, coincident with the peak in 239+240Pu the primary marker for this site. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-03-16T10:08:25Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196231155191
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Authors:Aaron Bradshaw Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. Human-microbe relations have undergone a profound shift over the past 100 years. The discovery of antibiotics, increasing levels of pollution, and urban and agricultural intensification have led to the proliferation and diversification of novel resistance genes and microorganisms. This abundance has unfolded against a backdrop of microbial absence that is the other side of the antimicrobial coin; reductions in the quantity and diversity of human-microbe interactions are now registering as epidemics of chronic non-communicable diseases in urban populations. Building from this paradoxical situation of ‘abundance’ and ‘absence’, this article reviews the molecular-genetic, macroscale-infrastructural, and community-ecological aspects of microbial evolution at a time when human actions are a critical force in shaping their directions. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-03-16T04:37:05Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196231153925
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Authors:Ida Kubiszewski, Caroline Ward, Kate E. Pickett, Robert Costanza Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. Biodiversity change and increasing within-country economic inequalities represent two of the greatest global challenges of the Anthropocene. The most marginalized in society are often the most vulnerable to biodiversity change but there is no consensus on the relationships between biodiversity change and rising economic inequalities. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic scoping review of the literature and found 27 studies that explicitly examined the relationships between economic inequality and biodiversity. These were predominantly quantitative but also included qualitative, scenario, and review papers. The majority of studies (21/27) found evidence to suggest that more unequal regions had lower levels of biodiversity, and also that wealthier areas had higher levels of biodiversity. However, few studies investigated the causal mechanisms underlying the reported relationships, and there was little consistency in the metrics used to measure either inequality or biodiversity. Future research needs to focus on testing, or in-depth explorations, of causal mechanisms, with both quantitative and qualitative approaches needed. It is crucial that we understand how economic inequality and biodiversity interact if we are to meet the aims of reducing economic inequality and preventing further biodiversity loss. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-03-16T04:34:29Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196231158080
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Authors:Kristine L DeLong, Kylie Palmer, Amy J Wagner, Mudith M Weerabaddana, Niall Slowey, Achim D Herrmann, Nicolas Duprey, Alfredo Martínez-García, Jonathan Jung, Irka Hajdas, Neil L Rose, Sarah L Roberts, Lucy R Roberts, Andrew B Cundy, Pawel Gaca, J Andrew Milton, Handong Yang, Simon D Turner, Chun-Yuan Huang, Chuan-Chou Shen, Jens Zinke Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. The proposed Anthropocene Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) candidate site of West Flower Garden Bank (27.8762°N, 93.8147°W) is an open ocean location in the Gulf of Mexico with a submerged coral reef and few direct human impacts. Corals contain highly accurate and precise ( Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-02-21T12:31:52Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196221147616
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Authors:Tom Hannes, Gunter Bombaerts Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. Bruno Latour’s “practical climatoscepticism” expresses our moral inhibition with respect to the climate crisis. In spite of Clive Hamilton’s claim that the Anthropocene condition requires us to be suspicious of all previous (i.e. Holocene) ontologies, we propose a threefold Anthropocene ontological structure inspired by non-axial Buddhist elements. In the ontological field, the overall domain in which meaning is searched for, the Buddhist relationalist view on existence can nurture post-humanist philosophies. For the ontological home, one’s specific position and responsibilities, the Buddhist concept “dharma-position” can feed into Hamilton’s “new anthropocentrism.” For the ontological path, the ideal qualities of our interactions, the Buddhist “brahmaviharas” can lend functional structure to the tensions between philosophies of radical acceptance and engaged action. We discuss how this threefold ontological structure provides partial answers to Latour’s “practical climatoscepticism” and Hamilton’s no-analogue world. We sketch avenues for investigation for various Anthropocene ontologies. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-02-21T10:34:57Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196231153929
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Authors:Junwei Tan, Qingyun Duan, Cunde Xiao, Chunyang He, Xiaodong Yan Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. Human activities have profound impacts on climate and ecosystems via fossil fuel use and land-use changes, and environmental changes in turn affect human society. Due to strong bidirectional links between the human society and the environment, there is a need to understand the complex dynamics of coupled human-Earth systems (CHES) for mitigation and adaptation purposes. In this paper, four main feedback links between human and Earth systems are identified, and the simulated impacts of some of these feedbacks on natural and social variables based on CHES models are examined. To better understand the current state of CHES modeling, the model development history is briefly described including the implementation of several different coupling forms and approaches. The CHES models are still in a quickly developing stage facing several gaps and challenges in theoretical understanding and modeling techniques. To meet these gaps and challenges, more studies across different research communities with truly interdisciplinary collaboration are required. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-02-20T05:21:09Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196221149121
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Authors:Jens Zinke, Neal E Cantin, Kristine L DeLong, Kylie Palmer, Arnoud Boom, Irka Hajdas, Nicolas Duprey, Alfredo Martínez-García, Neil L Rose, Sarah L Roberts, Handong Yang, Lucy R Roberts, Andrew B Cundy, Pawel Gaca, James Andy Milton, Grace Frank, Adam Cox, Sue Sampson, Genevieve Tyrrell, Molly Agg, Simon D Turner Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. Corals are unique in the suite of proposed Anthropocene Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) archives, as living organisms that produce aragonite exoskeletons preserved in the geological record that contain highly accurate and precise ( Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-02-20T05:18:00Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196221142963
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Authors:Francine MG McCarthy, Timothy Patterson, Martin J Head, Nicholas L Riddick, Brian F Cumming, Paul B Hamilton, Michael FJ Pisaric, Cale Gushulak, Peter R Leavitt, Krysten M Lafond, Brendan Llew-Williams, Matthew Marshall, Autumn Heyde, Paul M Pilkington, Joshua Moraal, Joseph I Boyce, Nawaf A Nasser, Carling Walsh, Monica Garvie, Sarah Roberts, Neil L Rose, Andy B Cundy, Pawel Gaca, Andy Milton, Irka Hajdas, Carley A Crann, Arnoud Boom, Sarah A Finkelstein, John H McAndrews Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. An annually laminated succession in Crawford Lake, Ontario, Canada is proposed as the Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the Anthropocene as a series/epoch with a base dated at 1950 CE. Varve couplets of organic matter capped by calcite precipitated each summer in alkaline surface waters reflect environmental change at global to local scales. Spheroidal carbonaceous particles and nitrogen isotopes record an increase in fossil fuel combustion in the early 1950s, coinciding with fallout from nuclear and thermonuclear testing—239+240Pu and 14C:12C, the latter more than compensating for the effects of old carbon in this dolomitic basin. Rapid industrial expansion in the North American Great Lakes region led to enhanced leaching of terrigenous elements by acid precipitation during the Great Acceleration, and calcite precipitation was reduced, producing thin calcite laminae around the GSSP that is marked by a sharp decline in elm pollen (Dutch Elm disease). The lack of bioturbation in well-oxygenated bottom waters, supported by the absence of fossil pigments from obligately anaerobic purple sulfur bacteria, is attributed to elevated salinities and high alkalinity below the chemocline. This aerobic depositional environment, unusual in a meromictic lake, inhibits the mobilization of 239Pu, the proposed primary stratigraphic guide for the Anthropocene. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-02-16T08:25:18Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196221149281
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Authors:Jan Winkler, Magdalena Daria Vaverková, Ladislav Havel Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. Plants can adapt to different conditions. They use different life strategies which allow them to adapt and survive. While humans and human civilization cause changes in the Earth’s ecology, only negative impacts of human civilization on individual parts of ecosystems tend to be presented and described. One often omitted fact is that humans also create new habitats which, for many plant species, are new challenges necessary to trigger changes in their life strategies. In the contemporary flora, there is a group of plant species that use and prefer anthropogenic habitats, and beneficial relationships started to be established between the human civilization and certain plant species. These plants have developed a new type of strategy—the anthropogenic life strategy—as a result of the co-evolution of plants and humans. During their evolution, humans—as a biological species—have exceeded their biological boundaries and transformed into human civilization, which is a factor altering environmental conditions and contributing to the evolution of new species, including plants. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-02-15T12:06:34Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196221149120
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Authors:Colin N Waters, Simon D Turner, Jan Zalasiewicz, Martin J Head Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. We review and compare proposals for 12 reference sections submitted to the Anthropocene Working Group of the International Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy, of which one will be recommended as the Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) to define the base of the Anthropocene as a series within the Geological Time Scale. The sites span five continents and are located in diverse environments, with all but one sampled by coring. Many sites show annually resolved laminae (here considered optimal for GSSP selection) that can be independently dated radiometrically to confirm a complete succession over the critical interval. An extensive range of proxies, documenting profound human modification of the Earth System at around the mid-20th century interval, has been analysed. Airborne signals (e.g. radioisotopes, fly ash, stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes) provide the most widespread and near-isochronous proxies, applicable across most environments. Additional means of correlation include the appearance of microplastics and persistent organic pollutants, and shifts in heavy metal concentrations and lead isotope ratios. Assemblage changes of microfossils (and some macrofossils) in marine, estuarine and lake settings reflect environmental changes and biological introductions. These systematic and comprehensive datasets, with correlation established between sections, provides the basis for a proposal to formalize the Anthropocene. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-02-07T12:35:09Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196221136422
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Authors:Roope O Kaaronen, Mikael A Manninen, Jussi T Eronen Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. This article reviews how simple heuristics – ‘rules of thumb’ – have guided human adaptation and the evolution of complex cultures. First, we argue that rules of thumb have been important catalysts for the evolution of human knowledge systems in the Holocene past. Through a variety of examples and case studies, we discuss how human cultures have used simple heuristics in domains as diverse as foraging, agriculture, social learning, moral and legal judgement and technological development. We emphasise how rules of thumb are convenient units for cultural transmission, and how they can facilitate efficient decision making by making use of recurrent environmental features. Second, we caution that as Anthropocene environments rapidly change, many traditional heuristic problem-solving strategies will face challenges due to cultural evolutionary mismatch. Old rules may not function in new environments, creating potential challenges for traditional (ecological) knowledge. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-01-19T11:06:26Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196221149105
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Authors:Stephen Himson, Mark Williams, Jan Zalasiewicz, Colin Waters, Mary McGann, Richard England, Bruce E Jaffe, Arnoud Boom, Rachael Holmes, Sue Sampson, Cerin Pye, Juan Carlos Berrio, Genevieve Tyrrell, Ian P Wilkinson, Neil Rose, Pawel Gaca, Andrew Cundy Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. A San Francisco Estuary core was analysed at high resolution to assess its component stratigraphic signatures of the Anthropocene in the form of non-native species, Hg, spheroidal carbonaceous particles, δ13Corg, δ15N, radiogenic materials, and heavy metals. Time series analysis of the core using Ti data provides a chronology to depth 167 cm into the 1960s. Below this, to depth 230 cm, the lowermost part of the core may extend to the 1950s or potentially a little earlier. The earliest anthropogenic marker recorded in the core is the excursion in Hg (beginning at 190 cm) which may denote the early 1960s and is the closest stratigraphic marker in the core to the proposed mid-20th century timing for the onset of the Anthropocene. Biostratigraphical signatures of non-native species arriving in the 1970s–1980s are widespread key markers and are significant tools for the correlation of Anthropocene deposits across the estuary. The absence of signals that indicate pre-1950s deposits precludes the use of the core to mark the Holocene–Anthropocene boundary. However, the core provides an important reference section to demonstrate the palaeontological distinctiveness of Anthropocene series deposits. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-01-17T10:52:00Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196221147607
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Authors:M Allison Stegner, Elizabeth A Hadly, Anthony D Barnosky, SeanPaul La Selle, Brian Sherrod, R Scott Anderson, Sergio A Redondo, Maria C Viteri, Karrie L Weaver, Andrew B Cundy, Pawel Gaca, Neil L Rose, Handong Yang, Sarah L Roberts, Irka Hajdas, Bryan A Black, Trisha L Spanbauer Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. Cores from Searsville Lake within Stanford University’s Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, California, USA, are examined to identify a potential GSSP for the Anthropocene: core JRBP2018-VC01B (944.5 cm-long) and tightly correlated JRBP2018-VC01A (852.5 cm-long). Spanning from 1900 CE ± 3 years to 2018 CE, a secure chronology resolved to the sub-annual level allows detailed exploration of the Holocene-Anthropocene transition. We identify the primary GSSP marker as first appearance of 239,240Pu (372–374 cm) in JRBP2018-VC01B and designate the GSSP depth as the distinct boundary between wet and dry season at 366 cm (6 cm above the first sample containing 239,240Pu) and corresponding to October-December 1948 CE. This is consistent with a lag of 1–2 years between ejection of 239,240Pu into the atmosphere and deposition. Auxiliary markers include: first appearance of 137Cs in 1958; late 20th-century decreases in δ15N; late 20th-century elevation in SCPs, Hg, Pb, and other heavy metals; and changes in abundance and presence of ostracod, algae, rotifer, and protozoan microfossils. Fossil pollen document anthropogenic landscape changes related to logging and agriculture. As part of a major university, the Searsville site has long been used for research and education, serves users locally to internationally, and is protected yet accessible for future studies and communication about the Anthropocene.Plain Word SummaryThe Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the proposed Anthropocene Series/Epoch is suggested to lie in sediments accumulated over the last ~120 years in Searsville Lake, Woodside, California, USA. The site fulfills all of the ideal criteria for defining and placing a GSSP. In addition, the Searsville site is particularly appropriate to mark the onset of the Anthropocene, because it was anthropogenic activities–the damming of a watershed–that created a geologic record that now preserves the very signals that can be used to recognize the Anthropocene worldwide. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-01-16T10:36:38Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196221144098
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Authors:Jan K Kazak, Justyna Chodkowska-Miszczuk, Grzegorz Chrobak, Maria Mrówczyńska, Standa Martinát Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. Considering unpredictable and hastily evolving tipping points (like the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing climate crisis and the war in Ukraine), it is clear that sustainable energy transition and utilization of locally sourced renewable energies must be in the heart of both national, regional, and local energy systems. However, if we take a closer look at the actions undertaken at the local (communal) level, we see enormous diversity of patterns, prerequisites, and implications that drive and affect spatial deployment of renewable energies. Therefore, our research targets to better comprehend the question if individual communities are comparatively involved in the energy transition. We also ask whether the demand and supply of renewable energy is territorially balanced and how these differences (if any) can be justified. We are framing our research by the concepts of energy justice and ecological debt. We thoroughly explore and asses the renewable energy balance on the level of individual communities which is based on data on the installed power capacity potentials and energy consumption in local administration units in Poland (380). Spatial distribution and discrepancies in the deployment of the renewable energy creditors and the renewable energy debtors are detected. Noticeable disproportions were identified among communities where improved utilization of local potential of renewable energy could exceed energy demand (29% of communities). This result is contrasting with communities (71% of communities) that can be, on the other hand, classified as renewable energy debtors. We claim that insufficient support (institution, regulatory, and financial) for expanding local renewable energy systems is a clear barrier when adapting to the climate crisis by balancing the energy demand and supply at the local level. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-01-14T06:08:45Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196221149111
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Authors:Andrea Borsato, Ian J Fairchild, Silvia Frisia, Peter M Wynn, Jens Fohlmeister Abstract: The Anthropocene Review, Ahead of Print. Annually laminated stalagmites ER77 and ER78 from Grotta di Ernesto provide an accurate annual record of environmental and anthropogenic signals for the last ~200 years. Two major transitions are recorded in the stalagmites. The first coincides with the year 1840 CE, when a change from porous and impurity-rich-laminae to clean, translucent laminae occurs. This is accompanied by a steady increase in the growth rate, a decrease in fluorescence and a sharp increase in δ13C values. These changes concur with the end of the Little Ice Age. The second transition takes place around the year 1960 CE and corresponds with an increase in both annual growth rate and sulfur concentration in stalagmite ER78 at 4.2 mm from the top, and with the deflection point in the 14C activity curve in stalagmite ER77 at 4.8 mm from the top. This latter is the stratigraphic signal proposed as the primary guide for the definition of the Anthropocene series. The following shift toward depleted δ34S–SO4 in stalagmite ER78 suggests that industrial pollution is a major source of sulfur. The interpretation of atmospheric signals (S, δ34S, 14C) in the stalagmites is affected by attenuation and time lags and the environmental signals are influenced by soil and ecosystem processes, while other anthropogenic signals (δ15N, 239Pu) are not recorded. For these reasons, the stalagmite record is here proposed as an auxiliary (reference) section rather than a global standard. In summary, Grotta di Ernesto contains one of the best stalagmite records documenting the Anthropocene, and one of only two stalagmite records where the S peak has been measured at high resolution. Citation: The Anthropocene Review PubDate: 2023-01-11T11:02:10Z DOI: 10.1177/20530196221144094
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