The Anthropocene - with Jan Zalasiewicz and Christian Schwägerl

We live at a moment of deep change, between one geological time and another. We are moving from the Holocene to new era, the Anthropocene.

Only recently we have come to understand that our actions have already altered this planet and that we now shape nature. Jan Zalasiewicz and Christian Schwägerl come together to discuss the innovations, fears and promise of a pivotal moment in planetary history in this Ri event.

Dr Jan Zalasiewicz is Senior Lecturer in Palaeobiology at the University of Leicester. His research looks into stratigraphy and the Anthropocene concept. He is interviewed by newspapers on what might happen in our human-changing world.

Christian Schwägerl is a science, environment and political journalist who writes for GEO magazine and others. He is the author of 'The Anthropocene - The human era and how it shapes our planet' (Synergetic Press, 2014). The German edition of his book has triggered the three year 'Anthropocene Project' at House of World Cultures in Berlin and the current special exhibition at German Technology Museum Munich.

[hendrikhendrikson]

Wow. This is really interesting!
Thank you so much.

[geraldspezio]

I completely agree with the clearly evidenced anthropocene era concept.
It was all clearly spelled out in 1971 in Nicholas Georgescu-Rogen's
definitive predictive book, THE ENTROPY LAW & THE ECONOMIC PROCESS.
So simple & so all encompassing.

[endless_ocean]

It’s weird to think that this guy (Jan) just bloody taught my geology module on the oceans

[unvergebeneid]

If this video doesn't excite and scare you at the same time, you have not been paying attention.

[chadpace]

Minus the comment of the tin foil covering my country, quite a good video.

[apedas]

28:03 some of centralized planification needed? please no more! too subjective.
35:30 the new york times?

[verioffkin]

(didn't see yet) So this is kind of philosophy? Not a science? Scarcely interested.
Here's some joke: one bacteria meet other one:
- Hey, humans say we live in Anthropocene, can you imagine it?
- Ha-ha-ha! What a stupid humans. Ha-ha-ha! Tell this joke to viruses, they gonna laugh whole the day.
- Ha-ha-ha-ha!.. 
Aren't we thinking of ourselfs as of a real deadly power too much?
Isn't this planet, still and forever, belongs to bacterias, archaeas and viruses? Microbiologist very needed.