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The Anthropocene: Are Humans Now Overwhelming the Great Forces of Nature

Authors:
Will Steffen at Australian National University
Will Steffen
Paul Jozef Crutzen at Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
Paul Jozef Crutzen
John Mcneill at Georgetown University in Qatar
John Mcneill
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Abstract

We explore the development of the Anthropocene, the current epoch in which humans and our societies have become a global geophysical force. The Anthropocene began around 1800 with the onset of industrialization, the central feature of which was the enormous expansion in the use of fossil fuels. We use atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration as a single, simple indicator to track the progression of the Anthropocene. From a preindustrial value of 270-275 ppm, atmospheric carbon dioxide had risen to about 310 ppm by 1950. Since then the human enterprise has experienced a remarkable explosion, the Great Acceleration, with significant consequences for Earth System functioning. Atmospheric CO2 concentration has risen from 310 to 380 ppm since 1950, with about half of the total rise since the preindustrial era occurring in just the last 30 years. The Great Acceleration is reaching criticality. Whatever unfolds, the next few decades will surely be a tipping point in the evolution of the Anthropocene.
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The Anthropocene: Are Humans Now Overwhelming the Great Forces of Nature?
Will Steffen; Paul J Crutzen; John R McNeill
Ambio; Dec 2007; 36, 8; Sciences Module
pg. 614
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
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Supplementary resource (1)

ANTHROPOCENE: Are Humans Overwhelming the Forces of Nature
Data
December 2012
Will Steffen · John Mcneill
... Since the Industrial Revolution, multiple processes have progressively unfolded, giving rise to the Anthropocene, with the rate of urbanization considered a key indicator [1]. Thus, cities have been crucial for the development of this new era [2] and possess the potential to reduce the current human impact on the environment [3] to help mitigate present risks and overcome future challenges [4,5]. ...
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