Human impact has created new ‘Anthropocene’ era for the Earth: Study
A new geological era which acknowledges the extent of humankind’s impact upon the Earth should be declared, according to geologists. The Anthropocene epoch, which is likely to be characterised primarily by the radioactive fallout of nuclear bomb tests, would be dated from 1950. Other prevalent characteristics of the Anthropocene could include CO2 emissions, rising sea levels, plastic, concrete, pollution, species extinction, deforestation and even the proliferation of domestic chicken bones. The Anthropocene is significant because it indicates that the Earth’s system is now on a different trajectory from the previous epoch, the Holocene, which lasted 12,000 years.

Following guidance from the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy and the International Commission on Stratigraphy, the AWG have completed a binding vote to affirm some of the key questions that were voted on and agreed at the IGC Cape Town meeting in 2016. The details are as follows:

No. of potential voting members: 34 No. required to be quorate (60%): 21 No. of votes received: 33 (97% of voting membership)

Q1. Should the Anthropocene be treated as a formal chrono-stratigraphic unit defined by a GSSP?

29 voted in favour (88% of votes cast); 4 voted against; no abstentions

Q2. Should the primary guide for the base of the Anthropocene be one of the stratigraphic signals around the mid-twentieth century of the Common Era?

29 voted in favour (88% of votes cast); 4 voted against; no abstentions