The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable

The Anthropocene is a geological epoch characterized by the significant and lasting impact of human activities on the Earth’s geology, ecosystems, and climate. The term derives from the ancient Greek terms anthropo (“human”) and cene (“new” or “recent,” indicating a geological era). For those scientists who recognize the term as valid, the Anthropocene either follows or is a subsidiary of the Holocene, the geological epoch that began at the end of the last ice age, approximately 11,700 years ago. The concept of the Anthropocene emerged in the 1980s as a response to growing evidence of human-induced environmental changes and the realization that humanity’s influence on the Earth’s systems had reached a scale and magnitude capable of leaving a profound mark in the geological record. Not all geologists and ecologists agree that the term correctly characterizes the current epoch; some argue that humans have always influenced the climate, while others criticize the term for erasing the role of nonhuman agency. A small minority deny climate change outright. Despite this debate, the concept of the Anthropocene represents a fundamental shift in the relationship between humans and the environment, with human activities becoming a major driver of geological and ecological changes.