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Nature, 26 August 2024
The meaning of the Anthropocene: why it matters even without a formal geological definition
Even though geologists have rejected the designation of an Anthropocene epoch, the idea of a major planetary transition in the mid-twentieth century remains useful across physical and social sciences, the humanities and policy.
On 5 March 2024, the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) — the body responsible for defining units of geological time — announced it was rejecting a proposal to formalize the Anthropocene as a geological epoch that represents an interval of overwhelming human impact on the planet. The Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (SQS) of the ICS had initiated this process in 2009 by setting up an Anthropocene working group (AWG), which we represent. The aim of the AWG was to clarify whether there was sufficient evidence to formalize the Anthropocene, a process that involves identifying a precise starting point in a specific geological layer, or stratum.
The rejection has prompted much debate, with strong views expressed on both sides. In the past decade or so, however, the term Anthropocene has been adopted widely to describe, analyse and interpret the transformed conditions in which humans now live.
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