A group of leading geologists has made the decision not to officially recognize the ‘human age’ as a distinct period in Earth’s geological history due to disagreements about when it began.
Arguments were made that the Anthropocene, or era of humans, began in the mid-20th century due to factors such as rising greenhouse gases, the widespread presence of microplastics, the extinction of various species, and the aftermath of nuclear testing.
However, this proposal was ultimately rejected in a controversial vote that has been upheld by the International Union of Geological Sciences, the governing body of the field, as stated on its website on Thursday.
The decision to reject the proposal for an Anthropocene Epoch as a formal unit of the Geologic Time Scale has been finalized, with no option for appeal, despite some committee members expressing concerns about the voting process and lack of due process.
2024-03-23 16:00:04
Article from phys.org