ME 273 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Anthropocene, Gas Lighting, Class Conflict
2 May 2018
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Department
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Core 102:
What is modernity?
Assignment Paper-III
Name:
H a f i z M i n h a j A h m e d M o i n
Student ID:
h m 0 2 8 9 6
Instructor:
D r . S e v e r i n e M i n o t
The Anthropocene
In this paper, I will reflect on the readings and address the question asked in the Assignment Prompt,
which asks to explain why many scientists consider that we are now in a new geological era known as the
Anthropocene, and discuss the different dimensions of the Anthropocene, accounting for key problems/issues
emerging from the Thermocene, the Thanatocene, the Agnotocene, the Capitalocene, and the Polemocene.
The word “Anthropocene” is a combination of two words, “Anthropos” meaning “human” or
something related to humans and “cene” means “age” or “era”. This word is used to refer to the current
geological age, in which human activities are affecting nature and humans have become the dominators of the
earth. Most of the human impact on nature is due to mechanization and industrialization. These processes
require carbon fuels, which during consumption, produce carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide contributes to
the pollution of the environment, affecting nature. In addition, other harmful chemicals are also emitted during
industrial processes, which cause the degradation of the environment. This messing up with nature is what the
most important aspect of the Anthropocene is. These human activities that affect nature are responsible for the
Anthropocene. As a result of these activities, many species of animals, plants and other living creatures are likely
to become extinct.
The Nobel Award-Winning Atmospheric Scientist, Paul Crutzen claimed the end of the Holocene, the
preceding period of the current geological age, which lasted for about 11,500 years. Also, he named the current
geological age as the Anthropocene, The age in which human impact on nature is at its peak in the history of the
world. Though the actions of the humans were for the good of themselves, these were highly destructive for the
our environment and nature. Many of the current ecological and environmental problems are attributed towards
the advent of the Anthropocene, including Global Warming, Desertification of Lands and the Erosion of Soil,
rendering the earth useless for farming and growing crops.
Now I shall address the Second Part of the Assignment Prompt, which asks for key problems and issues
that were prevalent in the Thermocene, Thanatocene, Agnotocene, Capitalocene and Polemocene.
THERMOCENE:
‘Thermos” means “heat”. Thermocene is related to the Temperature changes in our environment which are
harmful, and their causes can be traced back to the human activities which include the emission of industrial
waste including harmful chemicals and gases that pollute the air and due to the greenhouse effect, trap heat. This
trapped heat contributes to the overall increase in the temperature of the Earth. Such a phenomenon is termed
as Global Warming. The increase in global temperature will lead to the ice caps and glaciers to melt, and
subsequently, the sea level will rise, threatening the lands which are at low height from the sea level.
Document Summary
Student id: h m 0 2 8 9 6. In this paper, i will reflect on the readings and address the question asked in the assignment prompt, which asks to explain why many scientists consider that we are now in a new geological era known as the. Anthropocene, and discuss the different dimensions of the anthropocene, accounting for key problems/issues emerging from the thermocene, the thanatocene, the agnotocene, the capitalocene, and the polemocene. The word anthropocene is a combination of two words, anthropos meaning human or something related to humans and cene means age or era . This word is used to refer to the current geological age, in which human activities are affecting nature and humans have become the dominators of the earth. Most of the human impact on nature is due to mechanization and industrialization. These processes require carbon fuels, which during consumption, produce carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide contributes to the pollution of the environment, affecting nature.
