Anthropocene Era Research Articles

Akcioni plan zelene tranzicije za Srbiju - zahtev za hitnom, sistemskom, sveobuhvatnom i promišljenom akcijom

The dominance habit, at the core of human nature, continually pushes people into conflict with each other as well as against nature. This tendency has been exacerbated to the extreme during the period of economic neoliberalism. Since economic neoliberalism has lasted for more than four decades, a great many structural imbalances and anomalies of the economic system have emerged. Consequently, the economy, society, and the entire planet have remained in an unsustainable mode. In contrast to the exponential progress made since the start of economic liberalism, during the period of economic neoliberalism the economy and society entered regression, incapable of capitalizing on the growth potential from the last two industrial revolutions (3IR and 4IR). The economy entered a structural crisis because economic rules and policy platform brutally ignored planetary boundaries and the laws of nature as well. Precisely, without inbuilt corrective mechanisms aimed at mitigating the main fractures of the system, the economy has been floating between simultaneous destructions on the supply and demand side, and finally entered a structural, multi, and permanent crisis, simply, a "permacrisis". Furthermore, external asymmetric shocks, such as climate change, pandemics, and geopolitical disputes, have continuously deepened the fractures of the system and created new ones. In this paper, we intend to argue that when the pieces relevant for the functioning of the planet, envisioned as the "system dynamics" of three layers, cannot fit together, it is necessary to start with the reshuffling of the socio-economic layer, as the root cause of today's major planetary problems not only in the economy and society but also in the physical system and biosphere. The imperative of a new era is that economic rules should respect planetary boundaries and be compatible with the laws of nature, primarily reversibility and evolution. The aforementioned implies the necessity to initiate the transition from a "new normal", actually, abnormal, to a "better normal". Negative rebounds can only be reversed through the creation of a new context capable of internalizing negative externalities resulting from prior development. The ultimate outcome of such a radical change could be the birth of a sustainable (and inclusive) economy, both towards people and nature. The transition from an old to a new system is inevitable to steer the economy and society away from the permacrisis and put it on a sustainable trajectory. If the new economy intends to be in harmony with nature, the related transition could be named the "green transition" or the path back to a green planet as the context in which the seeds of human life were originally nurtured. Following the aforementioned logic, the paper is organized into six parts, excluding the Introduction and Conclusion. In Part 1 and Part 2, our focus will be on the root causes of structural imbalances (and anomalies) within the socio-economic system and the physical system, respectively, in the Anthropocene era. Part 3 presents a literature review of the attempts to mitigate inbuilt structural imbalances of economic neoliberalism. The intention is to address the green transition as a prerequisite for a sustainable economy and society. In Part 4, we delve into the strategic audit of Serbia's economy fact sheet at the outset of the green transition. The starting point in advocating for Serbia's return to a sustainable economy path is to provide an accurate diagnosis of the situation, addressing both macro and micro aspects, including everything in between. Part 5 offers an empirical test of attitudes towards SDGs/ESG sustainability metrics in Serbia's business community. Empirical data suggests a subtle inclination toward the environmentalization of the economy and sustainability-related disclosure. Consequently, in Part 6 we discuss the government's role in preparing the green transition action plan.

A new climate for human nature? Navigating social theory through postnature, the anthropocene and posthumanism

By examining debates on the Anthropocene era ignited by new materialist and posthumanist scholarship, this paper aims to discern how these perspectives can reframe the human-nature nexus. It also considers how various ?developmentalist? approaches might assume the role traditionally held by the concept of human nature. The first section highlights concerns raised by posthumanist and neomaterialist scholars about the marginalized status of ?nature?, life, and biology within dominant constructivist viewpoints. A central argument posits that notions like ?denaturalization? and biopolitics amplify societal dominance over nature, pushing social theory towards an anthropocentric and potentially biologically indeterminate stance. Contrasting this, the second section delves into modern interpretations of the planet in social theory, inspired by the emergence of the Anthropocene. This lens reveals a dynamic, co-constitutive relationship, tilting less towards the unilateral commands of ?nature? and more towards understanding the evolution of human life and societal structures within Earth?s expansive temporal and spatial realms. The third section further unpacks these developmental ideas by juxtaposing the theories of Bruno Latour and Tim Ingold. The paper contends that both approaches endeavor to illuminate the complex processes underpinning the evolution of life forms, underscoring the significance of culture. In conclusion, the intricate postnatural landscape of the Anthropocene necessitates a more integrated human-nature relationship. This calls for not only discarding dehumanizing facets of human nature, but also fostering a renewed sensibility - a deeper form of humanizing that acknowledges and celebrates our shared existence with other species and entities.

Między światami. Poszukując kształtu rzeczywistości po antropocenie

In-Between Worlds: Searching for the Shape of Reality After the Anthropocene The purpose of the article is to highlight the serious challenge of living in the Anthropocene era. Recognizing humans as a force of geological significance, it is also necessary to take into account our responsibility for the state of the world and the search for ways to adequately deal with the threat posed by the deepening degradation of the planet, which is ultimately likely to lead to the disappearance of the human and many other species. One way to deal with the danger is to change the way we describe the situation and find a new language for expressing our new attitude to reality. The path proposed in the text is to step out of the framework of the Western perspective and look to numerous indigenous visions of the world for ways of thinking about, describing, and existing in the world that are different from the one that led to the catastrophe.

Photo albums: deconstructing narratives of the self, migration, and movable memories

Photo albums, as personal and cultural material objects, are intertwined with ideas about identity and memory. At the same time, the importance of memory in how we shape and make sense of our place in the world that is enhanced through evocative objects such as personal photographic archives (ranging from traditional family albums, to selfies on mobile phones, and beyond) becomes more pronounced in the context of the Anthropocene era in which diverse and unequal global movability (e.g., displacement, border crossing, and migration) has become a defining feature of who we are. Connecting between anthropological studies of border-crossing and migration art, this project explores how in the absence of a photo album, alternative modes of visual archives tell the migrant stories of affective connections to family homeland the past and the present Focusing on specific examples from the burgeoning body of alternative visual artwork by contemporary migration artists in Europe and the US this paper examines how identity and otherness are entangled in an ongoing process of becoming and unraveling as sociocultural norms. Beginning with Appadurai’s observations on how migration of objects precipitates the experience of border crossing this paper looks at how migration art activism empowers modes of resistance to normative exclusionary discourses and current anti-migration practices.

From Aesthetics to Asymmetry: Contradictions of Ecological Play in Cities: Skylines

Anchored in the Anthropocene era's paradigm of human mastery over nature, Cities: Skylines grants its players extensive agency to shape untouched terrains into sprawling cities. We draw upon “ecological thought”—a mode of awareness that highlights the radical interconnectedness of all beings and their environments—to consider the ecological dynamics of city-building by the game's players. Analyzing player-generated paratexts from online game communities reveals that while many players aspire toward ecocentric city designs, they instead inadvertently restage the asymmetric planetary relationship emblematic of our current era. Our analysis uncovers the capital-driven assumptions that characterize human–environment relations in the game. Attempts at ecocentric aesthetics invariably subsumed by cybernetic interactions that privilege the Anthropocene's prevailing power dynamics. These expressions highlight the inherent contradictions of the Anthropocene era as encountered in Cities: Skylines and illustrate the permeability between the contemporary material world and digital play.

Earth vitality: An integrated framework for tracking Earth sustainability

The Anthropocene era is characterized by the escalating impact of human activities on the environment, as well as the increasingly complex interactions among various components of the Earth system. These factors greatly affect the Earth’s evolutionary trajectory. Despite notable strides in sustainable development practices worldwide, it remains unclear to what extent we have achieved Earth sustainability. Consequently, there is a pressing need to enhance conceptual and methodological frameworks to measure sustainability progress accurately. To address this need, we developed an Earth Vitality Framework that aids in tracking the Earth sustainability progress by considering interactions between spheres, recognizing the equal relationship between humans and nature, and presenting a threshold scheme for all measures. We applied this framework at global and national scales to demonstrate its usefulness. Our findings reveal that the current Earth Vitality Index is 63.74, indicating that the Earth is in a “weak” vitality. Irrational social institutions, unsatisfactory life experiences and the poor state of the biosphere and hydrosphere have remarkably affected the Earth vitality. Additionally, inequality exists between high-income and low-income countries. Although most of the former exhibit poor human-nature interaction, all of them enjoy good human well-being, while the opposite is true for the latter. Finally, we summarize the challenges and possible options for enhancing the Earth vitality in terms of coping with spillover effects, tipping cascades, feedback, and heterogeneity.

Identifikasi Urban Heat Island di Kawasan Tepian Selokan Mataram Yogyakarta

Title: Identification of Urban Heat Island in Yogyakarta's Selokan Mataram Riverbank Area
 This research aims to identify the Urban Heat Island (UHI) phenomenon in the Selokan Mataram riverbank area, which manifests traces of human life in the Anthropocene era. Selokan Mataram is ten kilometers long and has various regional characteristics formed spontaneously from several functions and typologies of areas that continue to develop. An area with low population and low-density built-up land, or rural, has a low surface temperature compared to an area with high population and high-density built-up land, or urban. This difference in air temperature is theoretically supposed to occur. Even research in several similar articles in other countries has been proven and has been a concern. In the context of the study object in Mataram Sewer, some results follow the theory and similarities to similar studies. Specifically, the difference in air temperature recorded in the early morning reached 2,35°C in the early morning and 4,55°C in the afternoon.

An architectural query of Anthropocene Era: Planned obsolescence

After Modernity, the human has become the subject, and the world redefined by the human has turned into a painting. However, the efforts of human subjectivity to reveal the world in the Anthropocene Era, with negative practices such as the “planned obsolescence theory,” which is the research subject, even prepares for the end of its existence. According to the research hypothesis evaluated through the theory’s effect on architectural problems, “secular- ization should take place against planned obsolete architecture.” The research aims to show that positive feedback can be provided in society and ecology by reversing architectural consump- tion. It is to open up for discussion that architecture, which is left in the tension of life and death but revived by the urbanites and nature despite the negativity of decay, can be sustained by becoming secularized. How planned obsolete architectures become secularized is revealed through visual documents and tables and discourse and descriptive analysis methods through architectures of different scales and geographies, which can be reactivated in human-nature activity while in crisis of decay. At the micro and macro scale of architecture, Hawthorne Plaza Shopping Center, Banker Han (Banker Kastelli), Doel Village, and Houtouwan Village were selected as purposeful examples.

Navigating the integration of biotic interactions in biogeography

AbstractBiotic interactions are widely recognised as the backbone of ecological communities, but how best to study them is a subject of intense debate, especially at macro‐ecological scales. While some researchers claim that biotic interactions need to be observed directly, others use proxies and statistical approaches to infer them. Despite this ambiguity, studying and predicting the influence of biotic interactions on biogeographic patterns is a thriving area of research with crucial implications for conservation. Three distinct approaches are currently being explored. The first approach involves empirical observation and measurement of biotic interactions' effects on species demography in laboratory or field settings. While these findings contribute to theory and to understanding species' demographies, they can be challenging to generalise on a larger scale. The second approach centers on inferring biotic associations from observed co‐occurrences in space and time. The goal is to distinguish the environmental and biotic effects on species distributions. The third approach constructs extensive potential interaction networks, known as metanetworks, by leveraging existing knowledge about species ecology and interactions. This approach analyses local realisations of these networks using occurrence data and allows understanding large distributions of multi‐taxa assemblages. In this piece, we appraise these three approaches, highlighting their respective strengths and limitations. Instead of seeing them as conflicting, we advocate for their integration to enhance our understanding and expand applications in the emerging field of interaction biogeography. This integration shows promise for ecosystem understanding and management in the Anthropocene era.

Getting beyond ourselves: The transformative potential of awe

ABSTRACT The climate crisis raises urgent questions. How do we understand human-caused ecological destruction? What will motivate human beings to care for our environmental home? While some believe that fear will spur us to act, anxiety can have the opposite effect. Even those who acknowledge the increasingly precarious situation may dissociate in the face of dire predictions or disavow personal responsibility, thus avoiding lifestyle changes. This paper argues that experiences of awe may serve as better motivators than threats of annhilation. Social psychologists describe awe as a “self-transcendent emotion:” an emotion that shifts one’s focus away from self, binds us to others and promotes collaboration. Experiences of awe, research suggests, help us to feel less preoccupied with our individual needs and more receptive to “otherness,” reorienting us towards the “greater good.” I suggest that awe perturbs the neoliberal, individualistic mindset that characterizes the Anthropocene era by drawing humans into a closer relationship with the “other-than-human” world and encouraging an “ethic of care.” Short personal and clinical vignettes that demonstrate awe’s transformative potential are included.

Temporal and spatial responses of ecological resilience to climate change and human activities in the economic belt on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, China

In the Anthropocene era, human activities have become increasingly complex and diversified. The natural ecosystems need higher ecological resilience to ensure regional sustainable development due to rapid urbanization and industrialization as well as other intensified human activities, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. In the study, we chose the economic belt on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains (EBNSTM) in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China as a case study. By collecting geographic data and statistical data from 2010 and 2020, we constructed an ecological resilience assessment model based on the ecosystem habitat quality (EHQ), ecosystem landscape stability (ELS), and ecosystem service value (ESV). Further, we analyzed the temporal and spatial variation characteristics of ecological resilience in the EBNSTM from 2010 to 2020 by spatial autocorrelation analysis, and explored its responses to climate change and human activities using the geographically weighted regression (GWR) model. The results showed that the ecological resilience of the EBNSTM was at a low level and increased from 0.2732 to 0.2773 during 2010–2020. The spatial autocorrelation analysis of ecological resilience exhibited a spatial heterogeneity characteristic of “high in the western region and low in the eastern region”, and the spatial clustering trend was enhanced during the study period. Desert, Gobi and rapidly urbanized areas showed low level of ecological resilience, and oasis and mountain areas exhibited high level of ecological resilience. Climate factors had an important impact on ecological resilience. Specifically, average annual temperature and annual precipitation were the key climate factors that improved ecological resilience, while average annual evapotranspiration was the main factor that blocked ecological resilience. Among the human activity factors, the distance from the main road showed a negative correlation with ecological resilience. Both night light index and PM2.5 concentration were negatively correlated with ecological resilience in the areas with better ecological conditions, whereas in the areas with poorer ecological conditions, the correlations were positive. The research findings could provide a scientific reference for protecting the ecological environment and promoting the harmony and stability of the human-land relationship in arid and semi-arid areas.

Quality journalism and advocacy in raising climate awareness: The case of The Guardian

The Anthropocene era describes human activity as the decisive factor in creating environmental imbalance on the planet. This emergency is intensifying the need for journalism to raise readers’ awareness about the climate crisis. This study concentrates on the coverage generated by the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27). Using a mixed quantitative and qualitative method, The Guardian’s international digital version was analysed to find out the scope of journalistic quality on the climate issue, applying the variables accredited with the Journalistic Value Added (JVA) analysis technique to the sample (N = 238). The results show that the editorial policy of commitment to the climate emergency taken on by The Guardian coincides with essential criteria of quality journalism, making the medium a point of reference, although misproportion still persist such as gender representation among the sources.

Greenhouse gas dynamics in river networks fragmented by drying and damming

Abstract River fragmentation by drying and damming is occurring more frequently in the Anthropocene era, yet there is limited knowledge of how this fragmentation influences greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes in river networks. River networks have the potential to be important sources of GHGs to the atmosphere through both similar and dissimilar mechanisms associated with temporary (drying) and permanent (damming) fragmentation. We conducted a review of the literature and found 49, 43 and six studies about GHGs (CO2, CH4 and N2O) in rivers impacted by damming, drying and their interaction, respectively. We found research lacking in non‐arid climates and in small water‐retention structures for studies regarding drying and damming, respectively. The major factors directly influencing GHG fluxes in river networks impacted by drying were sediment moisture, temperature, organic matter content and texture. In networks impacted by damming, the most influential factors were water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and phytoplankton Chlorophyll‐a. Based on our literature review and meta‐ecosystem theory, we propose that the spatial distribution of fragmentation strongly influences GHG fluxes at the river‐network scale. The actionable future research directions identified here will help to improve our understanding of the effects of fragmentation by drying and damming on GHG fluxes, with the potential to inform river management and climate change mitigation strategies.

The Life and Death of Freya the Walrus: Human and Wild Animal Interactions in the Anthropocene Era.

Freya the Walrus, who often climbed onto docked boats to sunbathe and frolic, was euthanized by the Norwegian Department of Fisheries in the Oslo fjord in August 2022, sparking international outrage and media attention. Since walruses are social animals, and since the Anthropocene era of climate change has displaced animals from their Arctic homes, forcing them to migrate, we can expect more human-animal interactions at such places as marinas, where Freya met her end. This paper asks and attempts to answer how we can make such interactions just going forward? In cases such as Freya's, we need to reconcile three competing interests: the animal's interest in living a flourishing life as best they can in a changing climate; the public's interest in a safe and fulfilling wildlife encounter with an animal they have come to know intimately enough to name and follow devotedly on social media; and interests in maintaining private property. Examining these interests through the philosophical lenses of co-sovereignty, capability, and individuality, however, will yield more just results for animals in similar situations of conflict and co-existence with humans in urban spaces. We argue that, going forward, state resources should be expended to safeguard the public from marina access if safety is a genuine concern, while private money should be spent by marinas to enact safe animal removal with a no-kill policy.

Outlandish creatures and genre crossover in young adult liminal fantasy: a Deleuzian perspective

This study employs Deleuze’s concept of “deterritorialisation” to examine how young adult liminal fantasy can blend genre expectations and engage in environmental enquiry for a young adult audience. The term “outlandish creatures” is introduced to denote these improbable nonhuman characters that inhabit imaginary worlds in YA liminal fantasy where they exist intrinsically in young protagonists’ daily lives, exemplifying the genre’s propensity to transcend boundaries between species, genres, and reality. By conducting a Deleuzian analysis of Sonya Hartnett’s The Midnight Zoo (2011), Patrick Ness’s A Monster Calls (2011), and Shaun Tan’s Tales from the Inner City (2018), this study reveals that the depictions of encounters between youth and outlandish creatures not only reflect environmental anxieties in the Anthropocene era, but also contribute to the enrichment of narrative explorations within the genre. The study concludes that YA liminal fantasy has the capacity to address identity issues faced by contemporary young adults and foster ethical directionality through the productive fusion of genres and species.

An Alternative Method for Dating of Wildfire Occurrence from Tree-Ring Cores: A Case Study in Northeastern Asia

The tree-ring fire scar stands as a pivotal proxy for reconstructing historical wildfire occurrences, providing invaluable context for comprehending contemporary wildfire activities during the Anthropocene era. Precise identification of fire scars often necessitates sampling complete tree disks. Yet, stringent forest resource protection policies limit such collection in certain regions, thus curtailing the application of tree-ring-based fire reconstruction. While current methods based on tree-ring cores can ascertain the age range of fire events, pinpointing the exact year remains challenging. In this study, we propose a novel approach for detecting fire occurrence years by recognizing abrupt shifts in the tree-ring geometric center (TRGC). This method entails extracting a minimum of three tree-ring cores from the uninjured side of the tree and in proximity to the fire scar. We validated this method’s efficacy using samples from Transbaikal of Russia, in northeastern Asia, where fire years have already been documented. Our results show that this method accurately identified the fire year in nine fire scars with a 67 percent probability of exact agreement with the actual fire year. It is noteworthy that this method particularly excels in cases of trees with a single fire scar. We recommend employing the traditional method of collecting tree-ring cores near the fire scar to establish the age range of the fire scar. Subsequently, within this determined range, we suggest detecting the shifts in the TRGC to accurately pinpoint the exact year of the fire scar.

Thinking Bateson with Deleuze and Guattari: Response-ability of Artisans-Artists-Designers in the Anthropocene

In this essay I bring Gregory Bateson together with Deleuze and Guattari (primarily with the latter) to show their ecological compatibility, especially with Guattari’s ecosophy. I do this against the backdrop of the Anthropocene which presents us not only with a ‘climate’ of post-truth and political corruption, but also with the so-called climate crisis. In the context of these two broad examinations, I ask what can an artisan-artist-designer do given this problematic context? My reply is to call on ‘speculative design’ by an ‘avant-garde without authority’ to expose the symptoms of the Anthropocene era.

Reviving Minjung Theology in the Technological Era: Kim Yong-bok’s Seontopian Zoesophia in dialogue with Theo-Dao

This article explores into Kim Yong-bok’s final reflections on Minjung Theology in dialogue with Theo-Dao, a theology of Dao. Kim’s groundbreaking assertion that Minjung Theology is a sociobiography of Minjung broadens the cosmological Zoegraphy (the narrative of life) beyond historical constraints. It matures into a sapiential Zoesophia (Wisdom of Life), envisioning a Seontopia (East Asian Utopia). Minjung Theology prompts preparation for the impending ultra-technological civilization, characterized by the burgeoning evolution of artificial intelligence, marking a stride toward the future. Kim’s profound insights into Seontopian Zoesophia could serve as foundational pillars for the revival of Minjung Theology in the Anthropocene era of technological civilization. Furthermore, it extends an invitation to future theologians and scholars of religion to perpetuate this line of inquiry.

Forms of Social Justice in The Anthropocene Era

In the Anthropocene period, justice is an urgent issue that necessitates a multifaceted strategy that tackles the numerous facets of social and environmental injustice. The Anthropocene epoch has resulted in enormous changes in the natural world, and the pursuit of justice must consider the intricacies of this new epoch. Degrowth, postcolonialism, and solidarity politics are crucial notions that might help us comprehend justice in the Anthropocene. For sustainability and social fairness, degrowth emphasizes lowering consumption and output. Postcolonialism exposes the continuous exploitation of underprivileged groups and emphasizes the need for equal resource allocation. Solidarity politics acknowledge community interconnectedness and the need for collective action in attaining justice. This essay focuses on the subject of social justice in the Anthropocene era. This essay uses the book's analysis techniques to investigate these ideas from the perspective of justice in the Anthropocene. The study's findings highlight the critical role that degrowth, postcolonialism, and solidarity-based politics may play in creating equity of justice for everyone. Investigating these subjects in creating a more egalitarian and sustainable society was emphasized in this essay.

Further Development of the Law of the Sea Convention in the Anthropocene Era: The Case of Anthropogenic Underwater Noise

Anthropogenic underwater noise (AUN) is a growing concern for governments and international institutions around the world. This emerging issue signifies a rapid environmental change and raises questions about the applicability and effectiveness of current instruments. A key question to be addressed is whether the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) can address the challenges posed by AUN. While AUN is not explicitly mentioned in the UNCLOS, this article argues that some of its provisions are applicable to the problem. Part XII of the UNCLOS is proposed as a governing framework for protecting the marine environment from AUN. As a result, several options are presented to strengthen the regulation of AUN under the UNCLOS, including the adoption of a new implementing agreement, addressing AUN through the existing implementation agreement, and regulating through the rules of references.