Anthropocene
In geological terms, we're currently living in the Holocene stage of the Earth's existence; a period of time when all the elements have proven most beneficial to our species. But our unfettered growth has left a massive footprint upon our planet, and its ramifications may soon usher in a new geological epoch. Anthropocene, a short documentary produced by the ABC-TV Catalyst series, examines the characteristics and the consequences of this oncoming age.
From singular events such as the first nuclear weapons test of 1945 to the unprecedented industrialization that's occurred in nearly every region of the world, our Earth has undergone more rampant change in recent times than any other period in its history. As revealed in the film, the CO2 levels in our atmosphere have risen 100 times faster than they did at the conclusion of the last Ice Age. The end result could bring about a transformation of the very structure of our planet, and one that may present overwhelming obstacles in our quest to survive and flourish.
Geologists call it The Anthropocene, and they can recognize the signs of its imminent arrival all around them. In a far reaching study coordinated between dozens of nations around the world, scientists tracked various aspects of human activity in comparison to the functions of Earth's systems. The research project collected data as far back as 1750 and continued right up to our present day. What they discovered was shocking. The Earth's ability to maintain balance was surprisingly unfazed until the birth of the post-war industrial revolution, at which point its instability began to skyrocket.
"We are in the beginnings of a transition to something else," one scientist ominously proclaims during the course of the film. Earth scientists didn't come to this conclusion lightly; in fact, such a proclamation requires overwhelming and irrefutable evidence of a change to the surface of our planet. Just in the past 60 years, unprecedented human consumption, along with increased atmospheric levels of CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, lead and other elements, have conspired to alter the physical and functional characteristics of the Earth.
In the midst of the climate change debate, Anthropocene examines the crisis facing our planet from a fresh perspective not often considered by the mainstream. It's a valuable reminder that the human footprint could ultimately prove more devastating to our planet than Mother Nature herself.
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Katnea says: "The problem I see in these videos is you never know who has a secret agenda and if we are being given the whole truth and pure science. I've been tricked too many times to just believe because it's in a video with people who have some kind of title or credentials."
LOL...Katnea goes on to say in point (3)," I use'Factcheck. Snopes", etc. This is perhaps, a 'well meaning' person who suggests to JOHN what she hopes will help improve his research! She admonishes him to use 'common sense', altho that virtue seems alien to her awareness, and is underlined by an admission to 'having been tricked many times' ? How she was 'tricked' by scientific facts/entities remains unknown.
No doubt, the International Union of Concerned Scientists, World Health Org., Nat'l Science Foundation, and others are conspiring against the public good whenever they publish the dire planetary news. :-)
Then, this individual scribbles a long winded advisory to John on how research should be done, yet sadly has no idea at all how competent research is done! She seems to imply 'scientists could have an 'agenda'?!? This is both risible and sad, albeit her age & education (unknown) may leave room for mitigating her ignorance ?
Sorry to say, there may be a 'fit' to my comment, (to John), on human intelligence? Here, the "Dunning-Kruger Effect "comes to mind.
Commenters have made excellent points. However, absolutely no real progress toward a solution. How are we to take away "personhood" from a corporation. Wishing it, does what?
How does one prevent pollution when the polluters have corrupted and own or control the govt which has been assigned that task?
We could boycott polluting corps or all big corps. However, that has never worked yet. People are too lame. If we felt petrol prices were too high or oil too polluting, we could do something about it. We could convert to a superior, far less polluting fuel, at a lower cost, that no corp could control but we are too lame. Moonshine or ethanol is such a fuel.
Rather than allowing the bought major political parties to do the choosing for you, we could easily gather together to find, contract with, and nominate our own wise, honest, candidates to run in all political parties in numbers, contracted to do certain things, such as term limits, remove personhood status from corps, and make it much easier to remove judges who don't follow the Constitution or the law, including Supreme Court justices. Yet we are too lame to do such an easy thing requiring very little time.
Until far too many people are starving or have no clean water to drink, will anything change. Of course the powers that be are hastening that time thinking that will be the point at which the masses are most vulnerable to being manipulated into a one world odor socialist-communist regime where every aspect of your life is monitored and ruled by an incompetent uncaring bureaucrat who loves their power over you who thinks you work for them and has no reason to think otherwise.
However there are some technical questions: Is CO2 such a big problem if plant life depends on it? Is 1750 - 2016 a sufficient time line to make their claims? When one finds that palm trees are found at 5 different timelines in polar ice core drillings along with frozen woolly mammoths with food still hanging from their mouth... It would seem there is more to the earth than the conclusions from such a short time study can provide. And how edited was the information presented (as another commenter wondered)?
However, there is little doubt that nuclear radioactive pollution is a bad thing and should be eliminated altogether. Quoting the former Japanese president, the only safe nuclear is no nuclear. It would seem Chernobyl, Three mile island, Fukushima, and the ease in which a terrorist could attack a nuclear facility, his statement is absolutely true.
All I ask is that when you desire and ask for change and more restrictions upon corporations... Choose more freedom for the people from govt, not less, lest those good natured folks who don't need govt controlling them consider you the enemy.
If you don't respect my right to speak my reasoned opinions due to your emotionalized reactions, it would seem much less govt control, indoctrination, and emotionalization of the education process is called for. Boycotting the major media for same has occurred but not by nearly enough. There are many good independent online news and information sources. Turn off the propaganda major media.
How will you prevent your children from being fooled by the indoctrinators and propagandists unless YOU actually do something to prevent it?
The court of law is not allowed to have regard4children. They can only have regard for their clients. There lies the problem???
If we can't find a balance between enhancing the sustenance of life and sustaining the enhancers of life then we as a species are doomed. So you pick which one is better. Dah!
Just keep on making those babies and the rest will take care of itself.
Yes, John...only ONE problem from which ALL others spring. OVERPOPULATION.
Until human numbers are reduced to sustainable levels, (1-2 billions or less), any corrective measures will be temporary...band-aides.
I have dared to introduce one other, which is an enormous obstacle requiring much imagination and effort to counter. And, that is surmounting the obstacles presented by a low, average human intelligence.
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Well, i think that the this is self evident. I mean, to start with, since the 50's there has been a huge change in cultural attitudes, the 'century of the self' the 'individual' increased buying power and satisfying of the senses of all manner of goodies and distractions has led us to believe in these things as ends in themselves. We have become intoxicated on our own liberal ideas and relative freedoms that we have had. We have also lost all discipline, both spiritually and ethically and this is one of the key issues that faces us as well. A loss of values is a major issue and completely related to the rapid screwing of the the eco-system. Its like we are catching onto our materialistic existence because most of us believe in nothing else. There is no where else to go for the masses. Therefore, first educate the value system, and then the things we are going to be obliterated by, will bring themselves under control as our behaviour changes. Its obvious.
The way so many people deal with the issue of our environmental impact is similar to a response of shock when you think about it, as in the shock you would receive when you've been notified of a loved ones hospitalization or from an accidental cut. There's a moment when the wild mind attempts a wide series of maneuvers out of its regular functioning to process its experience and eventually meets a boiling point (just like the planet) where it spits irrationality like a hot pot of spag and finally it settles with a justification or a flavor if you will with a mild hint of apocalypse and that remains so until it's consumed and digested in an individuals own time of typically absent attentiveness to introspection on account of the predominant makeup of the human body over the past several decades been a toxified mess & mostly for corporate agenda. When the spag does settle, or if the aid is enlisted of the vast myriad of nootropics available from earth to assist us achieve our homeostasis (ultimately the state of neo-human), we can begin to form the realization of an even vaster flavor set.. much more developed, 'unity' & 'sustainability' among all life. Suddenly once you're on this intake/outtake level as a member of this earth, all of these woes of civil responsibility begin fading into a human representation of a flower, offering the gifts of life and color in its own space in the surrounding eco-systems, supporting fellow life-forms and co-habitats to co-evolve rather than competing for dominance.
Superb..... Quite a statement, and one that certainly and absolutely requires the attention of all humanity. But sadly, as epitomized by 'scubahalo' above, the majority of humans are still thinking about 'left' and 'right'..... about getting their 'share' of the spoils before it all runs out. Or something.... How is it there is not one thing humans will not dispute and argue about? Were children taught 'reality' rather than the fictions we live with perhaps one might be optimistic, but how likely is that? Daily life is still about 'am I getting ahead.... staying even..... or falling behind'. How few can even concern themselves with any larger picture. Think about it.... we're still living in an age where gods and goddesses are considered real, and not the product of our imaginations as history and mythology reveal, and where a child is never taught about money and debt and how the world really works. We're taught 'us and them' basically, and that for 'us' to continue we have to do 'X' to 'them'. Might a better human evolve eventually? Hmmm....... We're trying to think and act in nanoseconds, while we have evolved over millennia. How bizarre it all is.....
for those who dont believe this:
please, install Google Earth and spend few hours with exploring range of destruction. Intact ecosystems are more and more scarce... Show me one arbitrary system, which function the same way after the one half is removed or altered... It is the case of our Earth. It needs only little bit logical thinking, nothing more. Earth is not endless :-).
Yes, it is also true, that lot of things are going better, but maybe not fast enough. Mostly because "unbelievers". Go to India, China, USA and you will see. But if you dont want to see, you will see when it will be to late. It is hard to believe something, what requires change of your habits, I know... Try to get over it and lower your consumption. It is not so hard...
I like what joe nobull said up top.
And It's power comes from "person hood" in a court of law.
Take that away from it and out goes its power, but not its ability to benefit the rest of us.
John, I can agree with many of your observations, but clearly not all of them. I guess the easiest way for me to respond back to yeah, is to break your comments down...
1) "No one knows with certainty how this all will play out." <--- The facts about this climate warming nightmare, and/or how it will all play out, is indeed available. All it takes is some effort and a little commonsense researching on your part. ; )
2) "But what is apparent is that people can't discuss these things without attacking each other." <--- I agree with you 100% on this one! And sadly enough, I've also found this negative behavior to be true on just about any topic of debate. Yeah, I don't understand why people are so damn willing to tear each other apart vs. having a civil debate, or sharing ideas? (Sigh)
3) "The problem I see in these videos is you never know who has a secret agenda and if we are being given the whole truth and pure science. I've been tricked too many times to just believe because it's in a video with people who have some kind of title or credentials." <--- Here again, I agree with you. All I can suggest is to properly research the topic. One very important way you can achieve this is making sure you research who the author is! Wikipedia offers pretty good background history insofar as what groups the author is affiliated with. If for example you read that the author is working for one of the oil cartels, and/or supports the far right etc., then yes, knowing their background history will give you good insight as to what their agenda is about...eh? Also be sure and play the devil's advocate approach when researching. Lastly, I'm always using FactCheck, Snopes, or any other official fact gathering website as well. = )
4) "I wish that wasn't the case because this all would have been decided a long time ago one way or the other." <--- You may want to ask yourself 'Why' it is that confusion and doubt are being spread about the cause and effects of global warming? In other words, who has the most to lose or gain regarding this multi trillion dollar bottom line? Who indeed can afford an ongoing fully funded campaign of deception? The oil cartels or the scientists? Also, how many wealthy elites living the opulent lifestyle of today, will care one whit about the full effects of a global warming nightmare that they wont even be around to experience...eh? Okay John, I hope some of my suggestion will help to improve your research skills? Take care... = )
@scubahalo Thanks for the insight. Sad, actually.
This documentary projects some negative aspects of the world phenomena. Bur much positive aspects can also be projected.Instead of making people panic about the future, why they make people plesant and happy about the future of the world.
Has everyone already forgot about Fukushima the largest killer of the planet in all human history? Isn't it funny how you never hear anything about it anymore, like its all forgotten?
There's money to be made by addressing climate change...both in support for it's limits and for acceleration.
Every year there is another advancement in energy efficiency. Power hungry computers are replaced by battery operated hand held devices. Solar panels have dropped in cost such that most anyone with a regular job can afford them to power the new lower energy devices.
But, there is money to be made on dealing with the effects of climate change and currently, there are few resource limits on it's efficiency. Money and materials pour into security markets and no one involved in that profit maker wants any one or any thing to stop it. And that is where the current decision power is.
Don't ever fool yourself, humans have and will make decisions that are not in their species best interest.
This documentary may be filled with talk of immediate danger, but as long a humans remain living in the moment, such talk will always seem exaggerated.
But in my old age I have seen the ratio change a little between the climate controllers and the climate vampires, and the controllers are slowly gaining ground with society.
mike m.: "'nuff said"?? Wrong! "Public control" (democracy) is an illusion. It doesn't exist, except in very limited scenarios, e.g., riots, and mass forfeiting of sovereignty to a ruling elite. Once individual sovereignty is gone no protection, no public safety is possible, quite the opposite. Exploitation is the result of choosing to be ruled over under any version, e.g., democratic socialism, communism, fascism, constitutional republic.
The untried paradigm of a voluntary society, a society free from the faith in force, a society that values rights and reason, would be applying the morality of the private sector to the public. No one in the private sector claims the right to violate rights, that is the insanity of the present public sector worldwide.
The only solution we need is to control the number of babies coming into the world. People will have to be qualified to make a baby.
LOL! Good luck with all that stefan. Now go to your safe space and hug your therapy dog.
It's strange because now with all the talk of climate change ; no one's talking about pollution anymore . Is pollution no longer a problem and if it is can we start agreeing on stopping it?
No one knows with certainty how this all will play out. But what is apparent is that people can't discuss these things without attacking each other. The problem I see in these videos is you never know who has a secret agenda and are we being given the whole truth and pure science. I've been tricked too many times to just believe because it's in a video with people who have some kind of title or credentials. I wish that wasn't the case because this all would have been decided a long time ago one way or the other.
@scubahalo: sure, like you sure supported trump, and now realise he f***ed you all with all his promises... sad pathetic right-wing liberal social darwinist talk. will look forward to tell you "I told you so...". in 10 years from now, you'll see you were wrong... or even earlier.
A corporation is a "person" in a court of law, only. Being a "legal" person, it has the rights of a real person to achieve its' goals. Things like give money to politicians, among other rights that only a person would have.
Just to take away personhood from corporate law would put them very much under public control. No need to change their charters. Corporate charters could stay the same without any alteration. Making money could remain their god, but without "personhood" under the law, they would answer to us in the ways they actually "do" this worship.
If i'm not mistaken, then, they wouldn't be able to just bolt off to some other country for the current advantages that tactic now offers them.
We would have to "allow" them that move.
Lots of other controls we would have also.
Just remove "personhood" from them.
Nothing else. So simple. So sweet. So doable.
Yet everyone just sits there, hollering and yelling about all the other complicated solutions that will get nowhere because as "persons" in a court they slip their way out of all attempts to make them act like sane "persons"
'nuff said.
More silly leftist propaganda. You're all such pathetic victims of your own self-induced psychosis. Sad , actually.
theres an alien on earth...its name is corporation
this alien has no conscious,feelings,heart, arms or legs...its invisible and cannot be physically touched