geological time
map
introduction

1 Wait
2 mountains
3 rivers
4 farmland
5 Sea
6 Desert
7 Savannah
8 Forest
9 rocks
10 cities

Epilogue
Acknowledgements
main

“The fate of nearly every species on Earth depends on our answer.”
A fresh perspective that moves freely from ecology to economics, politics to philosophy.
An optimistic and elegant report on a gloomy future

"A book you can't put down once you start."
Winner of the 2015 Royal Society Winton Prize (Science Book of the Year)

In an era where humanity determines the fate of the living Earth,
A paradigm shift is needed for the Anthropocene.

Dutch chemist and Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen first proposed the term Anthropocene in a 2002 Nature article, arguing that the Earth has changed too much from what is considered the standard Holocene period.
As geologists grappled with the question of determining biological time, the term gained widespread acceptance in the arts and culture and the general public as scientists used it to describe the multifaceted changes that had occurred to the Earth and its life forms.
The British Geological Society is now in the arduous process of formally listing this new epoch based on the changes humans have caused to the Earth's biosphere.

What evidence is there that we have entered a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene? In recent decades, humanity has transformed the world on a scale never before seen in Earth's 4.6 billion years of history.
This proves that humanity has become a geophysical force on par with events like asteroid impacts or volcanic eruptions that shattered the Earth.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are nearly 50% higher than the Holocene average, global warming caused by greenhouse gases is disrupting weather patterns across the planet, and the impacts of climate change are affecting all life on Earth.
Rivers are changing course, oceans are becoming more acidic, and biodiversity is declining due to overfishing, pollution, and rising water temperatures.
Storms are becoming stronger and more frequent, sea levels are rising, and coastlines are eroding.
As deserts spread, forests are cut down, and wildlife populations plummet due to hunting and habitat loss, the Earth is being pushed into its sixth mass extinction.

All these changes lead to one thing in common.
It is the human influence.
Human influence extends to butterfly migration routes, the rate of ice melt, ocean nitrogen concentrations, the frequency of wildfires, and even seemingly untouchable physical phenomena like weather, earthquakes, and ocean currents.

Can we say that humans, who transcend the natural cycle and change the physical, chemical, and biological processes of the Earth, are a part of nature?
Humans are no longer just another species.
Humans are the first species to consciously shape the fate of life on Earth and to reshape the biological and chemical conditions of the living planet.
This is why a special shift in perception is needed that completely overturns the current scientific, cultural, and religious philosophies that define humanity's place in this world's time and space and in its relationship to all other life forms.


At the forefront of a changing planet
A world created by ordinary people

As we pass through the Anthropocene, Gaia Vince captures the changing face of the Earth and the diverse landscapes of the people living within it, like an epic, through ten keywords: atmosphere, mountains, rivers, farmlands, oceans, deserts, savannas, forests, rocks, and cities.
As the author travels the world, he vividly shows how the changes we are causing on Earth are affecting the people who live there, what people are doing to reshape conditions for the Holocene, and how people are actually living on the front lines of a changing planet.
From the artificial glaciers of the Himalayas to the whitewashed mountains of Peru, the current-carrying coral reefs of the Maldives, and the garbage patches of the Caribbean, the stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things to solve the problems we've created reveal what the Anthropocene means to all of us.
It also provides guidance on how we can transform the Earth for the future.

How can we ensure that 10 billion people have enough food, water, and energy to live more comfortably?
Gaia Vince explores the past, present, and future of the Earth by traveling around the world to Patagonia at the tail end of the American continent, the Mekong River, the Sahara Desert, the Serengeti Pantanal in South America, the Galapagos Islands, the Amazon rainforest, the Panama Canal, the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia, the shantytown Villahermosa in northern Colombia, the oldest favela (slum) in Rio de Janeiro, Hosinha, and the eco-friendly future city of Tianjin, Eco-City.
It focuses on the efforts and struggles of ordinary people to devise “practical and effective local solutions” to combat global warming and protect their livelihoods.
The author believes that the future of the Earth lies in the sometimes seemingly reckless inventions, incredible landscapes, and extraordinary results achieved by ordinary people.

No field generates as much controversy as science.
People often argue about solutions to the problems of the Anthropocene, such as whether global cooling techniques are feasible, ethically sound, and reasonable.
Even proven scientific facts are questioned.
Moreover, the issue of development versus preservation has sparked sharp conflicts among residents and has even recently led to fierce international disputes.
The author delves into the debate between the deluge of headlines, statistics, computer simulations, shock therapy, and tedious slogans of environmentalists and corporations.

Humanity faces its greatest crisis in 10,000 years.
Is there hope for the human planet Earth?

As humanity faces its greatest challenge in 10,000 years, can our species survive?
We have always changed the ecosystem to suit our needs, and we will probably continue to do so.
No system on Earth is truly isolated.
The changes we make to a small part of the Earth can have enormous consequences.
But we are only just beginning to understand the complexity of our own influence.
The author argues that if humanity, in its pursuit of infinite development, could redirect its influence in a less destructive direction, the future of the Earth would not be so bleak.
As the Anthropocene unfolds, how people behave and what development approaches nations adopt will determine the fate of all life, including ourselves.
But science only develops engineering methods and analyzes their impacts, and ultimately it is up to society to decide which impacts to accept.
So the question returns to “how to live.”
The secret to humanity's ability to exert global influence, unlike other species, lies in creativity and cooperation.
The author is optimistic that network-based collective intelligence will transcend the oppression of wealth, geography, class, and gender, leading humanity to a new level of cooperation.
The words of Mohamed Nasheed, the former president of the Maldives, whose country is on the verge of disappearing into the sea, remind us of what we must do.
“Climate change is not just an environmental issue.
It is a human rights issue that threatens the homes, livelihoods, and lives of millions of people.
“People who live in this world have a responsibility to help the most vulnerable.”