Philosophy & Ethics – Lecture 8 (13-06-2018): Welcome to the Anthropocene
Today we live in the Anthropocene and no longer in the holocene (as we used to):
we have more influence on the planet than all natural factors combined.
Human beings are now in the so called ‘driver’s seat’ of the planet.
Paul Crutzen:
‘’But we do not live in the Holocene anymore, we live in the Anthropocene!’’
Deep time:
Human historical time starts to affect ‘deep time’.
It’s a new thing that only one species (human) have this huge planetary impact,
which is not temporarily we (humans) are determining deeptime, because the
earth has become more ‘humanized’ (anthroponiced);
e.g. deforesting, mining, agriculture, etc.
Global warming:
Melting of the Arctic:
Great pacific garbage patch:
Big patches of garbage that create new geological stuctures islands of rubbish.
Tropical forests CO2 emmision:
Rain forests are now starting to become sources of CO2, they start emitting CO2
….
…..
Phase 1 of the anthropocene: Industrial Revolution:
- Started in England, 1781: invention of the steam engine by James Watt: end
of the ‘energy bottleneck’
- Boulton & Watt company (1775): ‘We sell here, sir, what all the world wants to
have: power’ (Boulton to James Boswell)
- 1908: Haber-Bosch synthesis of ammonia for fertilizer (kunstmest): revolution
in agriculture and impact on geochemical cycles since this time humans
became an important ‘geochemical force’.
- 1800-2000:
o World population from 1 to 6 billion
o 40 times increase of energy use
o 50 times increase of global economy
o CO2 concentration in atmosphere from 283 to 369 ppm (now >400).
Phase 2 of the Anthropocene: The Great Acceleration (heading towards ‘the Great
Collision’):
Today we live in the Anthropocene and no longer in the holocene (as we used to):
we have more influence on the planet than all natural factors combined.
Human beings are now in the so called ‘driver’s seat’ of the planet.
Paul Crutzen:
‘’But we do not live in the Holocene anymore, we live in the Anthropocene!’’
Deep time:
Human historical time starts to affect ‘deep time’.
It’s a new thing that only one species (human) have this huge planetary impact,
which is not temporarily we (humans) are determining deeptime, because the
earth has become more ‘humanized’ (anthroponiced);
e.g. deforesting, mining, agriculture, etc.
Global warming:
Melting of the Arctic:
Great pacific garbage patch:
Big patches of garbage that create new geological stuctures islands of rubbish.
Tropical forests CO2 emmision:
Rain forests are now starting to become sources of CO2, they start emitting CO2
….
…..
Phase 1 of the anthropocene: Industrial Revolution:
- Started in England, 1781: invention of the steam engine by James Watt: end
of the ‘energy bottleneck’
- Boulton & Watt company (1775): ‘We sell here, sir, what all the world wants to
have: power’ (Boulton to James Boswell)
- 1908: Haber-Bosch synthesis of ammonia for fertilizer (kunstmest): revolution
in agriculture and impact on geochemical cycles since this time humans
became an important ‘geochemical force’.
- 1800-2000:
o World population from 1 to 6 billion
o 40 times increase of energy use
o 50 times increase of global economy
o CO2 concentration in atmosphere from 283 to 369 ppm (now >400).
Phase 2 of the Anthropocene: The Great Acceleration (heading towards ‘the Great
Collision’):
