Anthropocene – The New Age?

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The word "Anthropocene" was coined by Dutch chemist and Nobel Prize winner, Paul Crutzen about a decade ago. He argues that we have changed the world we live in so drastically, that we have left the Holocene period that began with the last ice age and have entered the Anthropocene - The Age of Man. Whether or not this is true has sparked a battle between geologists and environmentalists. While scientists think this has more to do with pop culture than hard science there is a new group of environmentalists emerging called “modernist greens.”

They contend that our footprint is already so large that there is no pristine nature left and yet, the modernist greens are optimistic. New studies from conservationists like Peter Kareiva of the Nature Conservancy back them up, making the case that nature is a lot tougher than we think. Geographer Erle Ellis, points out “the history of human civilization might be characterized as a history of transgressing natural limits and thriving.” He suggests “we must not see the Anthropocene as a crisis, but as the beginning of a new geological epoch ripe with human-directed opportunity.” I wish I felt as optimistic.

Do we need a new environmentalism? Perhaps we could stand to move away from some of the emotional arguments and into the scientific realm. I believe we have great minds in this country and I hope they will discover ways to move us into the future with a gentler footstep as the modernist greens suppose. But, having said that, I won’t give up on what we can do together to take care of our planet today. I must believe that each choice we make matters and we must begin at home.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

 -Margaret Mead

Bringing Life To Your Garden

Have fun out there!

Peggy Anne