The book joins the broad debate sparked by Paul Crutzen and Eugene F. Stoermer regarding the term Anthropocene, which is used to define a new geological epoch characterized by the appearance of humans on Earth and the effects of their actions on the environment. In their book, Simon L. Lewis and Mark A. Maslin aim to determine a precise starting date for this era. They suggest the year 1610. Around this time, the authors argue, a noticeable change in carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere was recorded. This alteration can be easily identified through the analysis of samples obtained from ice core drilling. However, this change would be an indirect result of human actions, as it is traceable to the colonization of South America by Europeans. The encounter between Europeans and the indigenous people of South America led to the death of around fifty million people and the destruction of entire urban centers. This event subsequently triggered a significant reforestation process, resulting in a decrease in atmospheric CO₂ levels. The analysis of ice core samples, which confirms this alteration, would constitute the first indisputable evidence of the impact of human actions on the ecosystem. An impact that the two authors do not hesitate to describe as cataclysmic, comparable to a meteorite collision or other natural catastrophes.
Simon L. Lewis and Mark A. Maslin - The Human Planet: How We Created the Anthropocene
Daniele Demarco
2020
Abstract
The book joins the broad debate sparked by Paul Crutzen and Eugene F. Stoermer regarding the term Anthropocene, which is used to define a new geological epoch characterized by the appearance of humans on Earth and the effects of their actions on the environment. In their book, Simon L. Lewis and Mark A. Maslin aim to determine a precise starting date for this era. They suggest the year 1610. Around this time, the authors argue, a noticeable change in carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere was recorded. This alteration can be easily identified through the analysis of samples obtained from ice core drilling. However, this change would be an indirect result of human actions, as it is traceable to the colonization of South America by Europeans. The encounter between Europeans and the indigenous people of South America led to the death of around fifty million people and the destruction of entire urban centers. This event subsequently triggered a significant reforestation process, resulting in a decrease in atmospheric CO₂ levels. The analysis of ice core samples, which confirms this alteration, would constitute the first indisputable evidence of the impact of human actions on the ecosystem. An impact that the two authors do not hesitate to describe as cataclysmic, comparable to a meteorite collision or other natural catastrophes.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
