The problems of the Anthropocene in the Geologic Time Scale, and beyond

Abstract

The formalization of the Anthropocene in the Geologic Time Scale (GTS) is a matter of debate. An assessment of the two current options, one formalizing the Anthropocene as an Epoch and the other considering the Anthropocene as an informal event in the Earth's history that does not require formalization, are critically analyzed. The focus of the analysis is on the philosophical issues underlying these two options, which make them unsatisfactory for addressing the occurrence of humans on Earth and the evolution of the relationship between humans and nature. Essentially, the approach followed by these options is non-historical, and does not undertake a research on the structural socio-economic roots of the Anthropocene. As a result, the concept of the Anthropocene is unable to identify the particular and historical form of Anthropos underlying the ongoing environmental degradation. Some inconsistencies in the current configuration of the GTS and in the rules for formalizing units inherited from the historical tradition of the GTS are also highlighted. The current dualistic approach of the Earth system science community, including the two options analyzed for the Anthropocene, prevents a proper understanding of the relationship between humans and nature, which is fundamental to confront the Earth's habitability crisis of the Anthropocene.