jtotheizzoe:

Welcome to the Anthropocene

Since the dawn of the Industrial Age, our species has affected sweeping and immeasurable change on Earth. No other creature, living or extinct, has made such a significant mark on the very core physical nature of our home planet. Many believe that our influence is on the scale of those seen in major geological eras, and have taken to calling this era the Anthropocene (although there is debate as to how appropriate that is).

Beyond those arguments among geologists, we can’t deny that our role on Earth is significant, as our our actions. Climate change, biodiversity loss, resource depletion … we are a planet-changer. The Anthropocene may not be used to describe fossils one day by some unknown species of alien paleontologists, but it does describe the planetary influence of a certain race of naked apes.

This video chronicles that change, from 1750 to the present. I watched the vertical axis label change throughout, demonstrating that our exponential growth has not just occurred in population, but in a myriad of effects (and many negative).

It’s a beautiful view of our planet full of reminders of changes past and opportunities future. A call to action and a source of hope lies within.

(by WelcomeAnthropocene, commissioned by Planet Under Pressure)