The Anthropocene : 101 questions and answers for understanding the human impact on the global environment

"The Anthropocene is an authoritative desk-top reference work for students of geography, the environment and sustainability. Through a series of 101 interconnected questions and answers spanning ten thematic sections, the book provides a comprehensive survey of humankind's impact on the global environment from the Late Stone Age to the present day. Unrivalled in scope, the book distills the latest research findings and scholarship across a remarkable range of topics concerning the evolving human-environment relationship. These include the broad history of human-induced changes in the environmental conditions of the planet; the major human impacts on the Earth and their consequences; and the different causes and rationales applied to understanding these environmental changes. All questions are answered succinctly and rigorously and draw on a wealth of contemporary evidence and scientific theories. The book is colour illustrated throughout, answers are fully cross-referenced and further readings are suggested for those wishing to delve deeper. For anyone seeking to understand the human-induced changes to our planet and the challenges these pose for sustainability, this book is an invaluable resource. It provides a masterly presentation of the human footprint on the Earth system."-- Page 4 of cover Cover Half-title Title page Copyright information Table of contents Preface Metrics and measures Introduction Section I The Anthropocene and the Earth system: foundational concepts 1 What is the Anthropocene? References 2 Is the Anthropocene a geological time unit? References 3 What is the Earth system? References 4 What are biogeochemical cycles? References 5 What is albedo? References 6 What are ecosystems, landscapes and biomes? References 7 What are environmental (ecosystem) services? References 8 Are global environmental change and climate change different? References 9 Are the totality of human impacts on the Earth system novel? References Section II The emergence of the Anthropocene 10 Did Stone Age people change the Earth system? References 11 Did early agriculturalists change the Earth system as proposed by the Ruddiman hypothesis? References 12 Did the early colonial era change the Earth system? References 13 Has the industrial era affected the Earth system? References 14 Are we entering a new technological era beyond the industrial one? References 15 Is the Anthropocene concept applicable in the distant past? References Section III Human changes to the land surface/lithosphere 16 Has human activity changed the land surface of the Earth? References 17 Has human activity changed forests? References 18 Why does tropical deforestation attract so much attention? References 19 What is the forest transition thesis and its relevance to global forests? References 20 How much land is cultivated and what are its environmental consequences? References 21 Has human activity eroded and degraded soils globally? References 22 Will agriculture require less land in the future as proposed by the Borlaug hypothesis? References 23 Does land taken out of cultivation decrease the global area cultivated or lead to displacement and land-grabbing? References 24 How much grasslands and pastures have been altered or degraded globally? References 25 What are co-adapted landscapes? References 26 What is desertification and how much has occurred? References 27 Does human landscape burning have Earth system impacts? References 28 Has human activity reduced mangrove forests? References 29 Has human activity on tundra influenced climate warming? References 30 Has human activity created land subsidence worldwide? References 31 Does urbanization impact the Earth system? References Section IV Human changes to the hydrosphere 32 Has human activity altered the hydrological (water) cycle? References 33 What are water withdrawal, water consumption and water footprint, and their implications for water availability? References 34 Has human activity altered freshwater surface stocks and with what environmental consequences? References 35 Has human activity degraded groundwater and aquifer stocks globally? References 36 Has human activity depleted wetlands globally? References 37 Has human activity reduced frozen water – the cryosphere – globally? References 38 Has human activity increased ocean heat? References 39 Has human activity raised sea levels? References 40 Has human activity disrupted the thermohaline circulation/meridional overturning circulation, and what are the consequences? References 41 Has human activity acidified and deoxygenated the oceans? References 42 Has human activity polluted the oceans globally in new ways? References Section V Human changes to the atmosphere 43 Has human activity altered the functioning of the troposphere and stratosphere? References 44 Has human activity increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere? References 45 Has human activity increased aerosols in the atmosphere? References 46 Is the Earth system warming – is climate change real – and how do we know? References 47 What is the Earth’s average temperature and how is it determined? References 48 What is the evidence for human-induced global climate warming? References 49 Do El Niño and La Niña (ENSO) events cause warming of the Earth system? References 50 Will human activity increase the occurrence of droughts globally? References 51 Has human activity increased tropical storms? References 52 Is the extreme cold of the polar vortex human-induced and does it negate the trends in global warming? References 53 Has human activity damaged the ozone layer? References 54 Do cities amplify local temperatures and precipitation and contribute to global warming? References Section VI Human changes to life in the biosphere 55 Is human activity creating a new mass extinction? References 56 Has the human movement of domesticated and other biota changed the Earth system? References 57 Do pollutants from human activities degrade land biota worldwide? References 58 Has human activity reduced marine fish stocks? References 59 Has human activity affected coral reefs? References 60 Has human activity affected microorganisms and their links to the Earth system? References 61 Does the built environment of cities alter biota dynamics? References Section VII The human causes of the Anthropocene 62 Does IPAT explain environmental change? References 63 Does an increasing population alter environments? References 64 Does increasing affluence alter environments? References 65 Does technology create environmental change? References 66 Do institutions create environmental change? References 67 Are some economies and political economies more environmentally degrading than others? References 68 Do cultural values and norms shape environmental behaviour? References Section VIII Understanding our relationship with nature 69 What is – and ought to be – our relationship with nature? References 70 How has science treated human–environment relationships conceptually and analytically? References 71 What is the social–environment system in human–environmental science? References 72 Do views about human–environment relationships cross-cut cultures and social groups? References 73 How do the Cassandra and Cornucopian perspectives shape views on human–environment relationships? References 74 How does the Malthusian thesis and its implications apply to human–environment relationships? References 75 Does carrying capacity apply to conditions in the Anthropocene? References 76 How does the Boserupian thesis and its implications apply to human–environment relationships? References 77 Can the Malthusian and Boserupian theses be reconciled and what are the implications for understanding human–environment relationships? References 78 What was “The Bet” and what are its implications for understanding human–environment relationships? References 79 Why is human-induced climate change so seriously challenged despite the science supporting it? References 80 In what ways do humanists influence our understanding of human–environment relationships? References Section IX Sustainability in the Anthropocene 81 Do distinctions exist among approaches to sustainability? References 82 In what ways does sustainability differ from previous environmental concerns? References 83 What does “place-based” research mean in sustainability science? References 84 How does sustainable development differ from sustainability? References 85 What is the distinction between weak and strong sustainability and its implications for sustainability goals? References 86 What are complex adaptive systems and their implications for sustainability? References 87 Why are uncertainty, surprise and the precautionary principle applied throughout sustainability problems? References 88 Is the Earth system approaching its planetary boundaries to function? References 89 Are tipping elements in the Earth system reaching their tipping points? References 90 What is the Gaia hypothesis and what are its implications for Earth system sustainability? References 91 What is the environmentalist’s paradox and what does it mean for sustainability? References 92 In what ways are the concepts of vulnerability and resilience applicable to sustainability interests? References 93 Do the vulnerability and resilience of past human–environment relationships provide insights about current sustainability? References 94 Can the economic value of global environmental services – the biosphere and Earth system – be calculated? References 95 What is inclusive wealth and its applicability to sustainability? References 96 What other measures of sustainability are used? References 97 What are the distinctions and implications of mitigation and adaptation for climate change? References 98 What can we learn from the CFC-ozone and CO2-climate change experiences about the pros and cons of international environmental agreements to reduce degradation of the Earth system? References 99 What are the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and what are their implications for sustainability? References 100 How might the knowledge of sustainability science lead to improved actions toward sustainable development? References 101 Is a sustainable Anthropocene possible? References Glossary Appendix: International programmes, conventions and policies dealing with the environment and sustainability Permissions and acknowledgements for figures and tables Index An authoritative desk-top reference work for students of geography, the environment and sustainability, which through a series of 101 interconnected questions and answers spanning ten thematic sections, provides a comprehensive survey of humankind's impact on the global environment from the Late Stone Age to the present day.