Anthropocene Epochs - When DID human impact BEGIN?
Epochs are traditionally distinguished through characteristic geologic features such as rock-layers, ice cores or fossils. As such, the Anthropocene describes a geological period in which humanity is in itself a geological force altering the originated based on a series of key historically transitional events.
First, it is argued that the era started with the advent of agriculture about 8000 years ago (Gowdy & Krall, 2013). More generally, the beginning of human influence on the environment is introduced by Foley et al. (2013) as the idea of the Palaeoanthropocene. This transition period begun 1 million years ago (Buckland & Jorgensen, 2016; Foley et al., 2013).
Second, scholars argue that the Anthropocene started in 1780, because the industrial revolution created technology which superseded agriculture, which was no longer the dominant activity (Steffen et al., 2015; Foley et al., 2013). In particular, Crutzen (2002) proposed an increase of CO2 in the atmosphere and the invention of the steam engine in 1784 as significant markers for this trans-formative phase.
Third, the Working group on the Anthropocene supports the origin of the era in line with the Great Acceleration, from the period of 1945 -1950. The Great Acceleration includes the development, use and proliferation of nuclear weapons. In addition, the accumulation and use of plastic as a general resource was also acknowledged as a major contributor
In the end, it remains to be seen where the exact transition period between the Holocene and the Anthropocene developed and which geologic feature is the most visible. Regardless, all of these historical events are significant as each correctly signifies the start of the Anthropocene.
References:
Foley, S. F., Gronenborn, D., Andreae, M. O., Kadereit, J. W., Esper, J., Scholz, D., . . . Crutzen, P. J. (2013). The palaeoanthropocene – the beginnings of anthropogenic environmental change. Anthropocene, 3, 83-88.
Gowdy, J., & Krall, L. (2013). The ultrasocial origin of the Anthropocene. Ecological Economics, 95, 137–147.
Steffen, W., Broadgate, W., Deutsch, L., Gaffney, O., & Ludwig, C. (2015). The trajectory of the Anthropocene: The great acceleration. The Anthropocene Review, 2(1), 81-98.