Time in geology is not measured in years, it is measured in millions of years. These are called eons and the best known geological epochs are Paleocene, Holocene, etc. But now, currently, whoever was born in 1950, is going to feel much older since he is living two different geological times.
Currently, after the last ice age, we enter the Holocene, but given the great impact that humans have on Earth, it has entered a new page in the geological calendar, the Anthropocene. This new period is intrinsically linked to the impact of climate change and human activities.
Anthropocene evidence
One of the tests that mark the change of course of our planet is in the Bilbao estuary. It is a seven-meter strip of sediment accumulated by industrialization. One method of studying the ancient times of the earth is by studying the accumulation of sediments throughout history. As well, These industrial sediments are already part of the life of the planet. In this context, it is important to consider how climate change has accelerated this phenomenon. You can learn more about this topic in our article on geological time, which also addresses the human footprint.
The group of scientists who were in charge of deciding this, have agreed to say that we have passed the Holocene to enter the Anthropocene. The footprint of human activities will be forever etched throughout the planet as an identifiable line in the strata that will be seen thousands or millions of years from now in caves and cliffs, a permanent reference for scientists of the future. A designated group of specialists has decided that the Anthropocene begins in 1950 with radioactive waste from atomic bombs. This phenomenon is also linked to the onset of rising temperatures and climate change, as discussed in our article on climate change control.
Our activities have transformed the planet
With our activities we have changed the Earth. This is the moment when we have managed to change the life cycle of the planet, taking it out of its natural variability. Many ecosystems, habitats, animal and plant species, bacteria, and others are adapting and developing to our way of life, rather than the other way around. This change has a profound impact on global climate change and its consequences, which are discussed in more detail in our entry on The Plutocene and its implications.
The mark that causes the beginning of this geological epoch is the radioactive residues of plutonium, after the numerous tests of atomic bombs carried out in the middle of the 7th century. The stratum of about XNUMX meters high where they are the remains of slag discharged by blast furnaces between 1902 and 1995 can be seen on the cemented beach of Tunelboca. This physical evidence also reveals how our emissions have affected the Earth's climate, an issue that has become critical in the context of the Earth's climate change and its solutions.
Requirements to designate a new geological stage
In order to designate the beginning of a new geological stage, there must be a signal that, globally, synchronizes all the change at the planetary level. At first, specialists thought of the year 1800 as the beginning date of the Anthropocene, with the industrial revolution. However, it was discarded because its footprint does not become equally and at the same time on all sides of the planet. This variability highlights how climate change has intensified since then, a phenomenon that can be further analyzed in Clean air and its effects on global warming.
The important thing about this case is not that the human being has made his mark. It has been doing this for a long time, thousands of years even. The key to designating a new geological stage is that it is a change of cycle in the behavior of the entire planet. This is caused by our human activities, our pollution, our plastics, our greenhouse gas emissions, industrial waste, the alteration of ecosystems, the massive disappearance of biodiversity, the acidification of the seas ... Many of these changes are geologically long-lasting, and some are irreversible, which is also related to the climate change we face today, a critical issue that touches on the extinction of species. what is happening currently.
That is why this scientific judgment has been enough to mark the beginning of the Anthropocene as a new geological stage in which the protagonist of environmental changes and in the Earth's cycles is the human being. The evidences that mark this stage of the Anthropocene will last on our planet forever. Furthermore, it is essential to analyze how this evidence relates to current climate change.
This generates various controversies about the failure of human beings in our society, especially with the arrival of climate change. It is not possible to judge whether the fact that the dinosaurs became extinct was good or bad, and yet we were not there and far from it, we were the cause of their extinction. But now today, we are responsible for the changes on the planet. That is why doubts arise about our "worth" on this planet. Are we a plague or a disease for the rest of the species?
