1. Production, destruction, and connection, 1750 to the present: introduction Kenneth Pomeranz an... more 1. Production, destruction, and connection, 1750 to the present: introduction Kenneth Pomeranz and J. R. McNeill Part I. Material Matrices: 2. Energy, population, and environmental change since 1750: entering the anthropocene J. R. McNeill 3. The economic history of agriculture since 1800 Giovanni Federico 4. Global industrialization: a multipolar perspective Kaoru Sugihara 5. The history of world technology, 1750 to the present Paul Josephson 6. A new world of energy Vaclav Smil Part II. Population and Disease: 7. Demography and population Massimo Livi-Bacci 8. Population politics since 1750 Alison Bashford 9. Disease and world history from 1750 Mark Harrison 10. The politics of smallpox eradication Erez Manela Part III. Politics: 11. The evolution of international law Anthony Clark Arend 12. On nationalism Aviel Roshwald 13. Assessing imperialism Danielle Kinsey 14. Self-strengthening and other political responses to the expansion of European economic and political power R. Bin Wong 15. Decolonization and its legacy Prasenjit Duara 16. Genocide Mark Levene 17. Communism and fascism Robert Strayer Part IV. World Regions: 18. The Middle East in world history since 1750 John Obert Voll 19. East Asia in world history, 1750-21st century Mark Selden 20. Latin America in world history Julie A. Charlip 21. Africa in world history Frederick Cooper 22. The United States in world history since the 1750s Ian Tyrrell 23. The economic history of the Pacific Lionel Frost.
Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment, 2019
We analyse the ‘three flaws’ to potentially defining a formal Anthropocene geological time unit a... more We analyse the ‘three flaws’ to potentially defining a formal Anthropocene geological time unit as advanced by Ruddiman (2018). (1) We recognize a long record of pre-industrial human impacts, but note that these increased in relative magnitude slowly and were strongly time-transgressive by comparison with the extraordinarily rapid, novel and near-globally synchronous changes of post-industrial time. (2) The rules of stratigraphic nomenclature do not ‘reject’ pre-industrial anthropogenic signals – these have long been a key characteristic and distinguishing feature of the Holocene. (3) In contrast to the contention that classical chronostratigraphy is now widely ignored by scientists, it remains vital and widely used in unambiguously defining geological time units and is an indispensable part of the Earth sciences. A mounting body of evidence indicates that the Anthropocene, considered as a precisely defined geological time unit that begins in the mid-20th century, is sharply distinc...
This book contains 11 separately authored chapters on the complex interrelations between societie... more This book contains 11 separately authored chapters on the complex interrelations between societies in different parts of the world and the soils they relied on from the perspectives of geomorphology, archaeology, pedology and history. The geographical spread includes ...
A recently published analysis by Lewis and Maslin (Lewis SL and Maslin MA (2015) Defining the Ant... more A recently published analysis by Lewis and Maslin (Lewis SL and Maslin MA (2015) Defining the Anthropocene. Nature 519: 171–180) has identified two new potential horizons for the Holocene−Anthropocene boundary: 1610 (associated with European colonization of the Americas), or 1964 (the peak of the excess radiocarbon signal arising from atom bomb tests). We discuss both of these novel suggestions, and consider that there is insufficient stratigraphic basis for the former, whereas placing the latter at the peak of the signal rather than at its inception does not follow normal stratigraphical practice. Wherever the boundary is eventually placed, it should be optimized to reflect stratigraphical evidence with the least possible ambiguity.
We assess the scale and extent of the physical technosphere, defined here as the summed material ... more We assess the scale and extent of the physical technosphere, defined here as the summed material output of the contemporary human enterprise. It includes active urban, agricultural and marine components, used to sustain energy and material flow for current human life, and a growing residue layer, currently only in small part recycled back into the active component. Preliminary estimates suggest a technosphere mass of approximately 30 trillion tonnes (Tt), which helps support a human biomass that, despite recent growth, is ~5 orders of magnitude smaller. The physical technosphere includes a large, rapidly growing diversity of complex objects that are potential trace fossils or ‘technofossils’. If assessed on palaeontological criteria, technofossil diversity already exceeds known estimates of biological diversity as measured by richness, far exceeds recognized fossil diversity, and may exceed total biological diversity through Earth’s history. The rapid transformation of much of Earth...
The term Anthropocene initially emerged from the Earth System science community in the early 2000... more The term Anthropocene initially emerged from the Earth System science community in the early 2000s, denoting a concept that the Holocene Epoch has terminated as a consequence of human activities. First associated with the onset of the Industrial Revolution, it was then more closely linked with the Great Acceleration in industrialization and globalization from the 1950s that fundamentally modified physical, chemical, and biological signals in geological archives. Since 2009, the Anthropocene has been evaluated by the Anthropocene Working Group, tasked with examining it for potential inclusion in the Geological Time Scale. Such inclusion requires a precisely defined chronostratigraphic and geochronological unit with a globally synchronous base and inception, with the mid-twentieth century being geologically optimal. This reflects an Earth System state in which human activities have become predominant drivers of modifications to the stratigraphic record, making it clearly distinct from the Holocene. However, more recently, the term Anthropocene has also become used for different conceptual interpretations in diverse scholarly fields, including the environmental and social sciences and humanities. These are often flexibly interpreted, commonly without reference to the geological record, and diachronous in time; they often extend much further back in time than the mid-twentieth century. These broader conceptualizations encompass wide ranges and levels of human impacts and interactions with the environment. Here, we clarify what the Anthropocene is in geological terms and compare the proposed geological (chronostratigraphic) definition with some of these broader interpretations and applications of the term "Anthropocene," showing both their overlaps and differences. Plain Language Summary The Anthropocene concept, that modern human impacts on Earth have been sufficient to bring in a new geological epoch, is only two decades old. In that short time, its use has grown explosively, not only in the Earth sciences but also far more widely to spread through the sciences generally, to spill over into the social sciences, arts, and humanities. This has led to welcome discussions between diverse scholarly communities, though also to some very different interpretations of the Anthropocene, when interpreted through different disciplinary lenses. Notably, the geological ZALASIEWICZ ET AL.
Since 2009, the Working Group on the ‘Anthropocene’ (or, commonly, AWG for Anthropocene Working G... more Since 2009, the Working Group on the ‘Anthropocene’ (or, commonly, AWG for Anthropocene Working Group), has been critically analysing the case for formalization of this proposed but still informal geological time unit. The study to date has mainly involved establishing the overall nature of the Anthropocene as a potential chronostratigraphic/geochronologic unit, and exploring the stratigraphic proxies, including several that are novel in geology, that might be applied to its characterization and definition. A preliminary summary of evidence and interim recommendations was presented by the Working Group at the 35th International Geological Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, in August 2016, together with results of voting by members of the AWG indicating the current balance of opinion on major questions surrounding the Anthropocene. The majority opinion within the AWG holds the Anthropocene to be stratigraphically real, and recommends formalization at epoch/series rank based on a mid-20th century boundary. Work is proceeding towards a formal proposal based upon selection of an appropriate Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), as well as auxiliary stratotypes. Among the array of proxies that might be used as a primary marker, anthropogenic radionuclides associated with nuclear arms testing are the most promising; potential secondary markers include plastic, carbon isotope patterns and industrial fly ash. All these proxies have excellent global or near-global correlation potential in a wide variety of sedimentary bodies, both marine and non-marine.
Atlas d'anatomie humaine. Tome 1 : Tête, cou, membre supérieur (5e édition française) avec l... more Atlas d'anatomie humaine. Tome 1 : Tête, cou, membre supérieur (5e édition française) avec livret Depuis plus d'un siècle et à travers ses nombreuses éditions successives, le SOBOTTA a su toujours s'améliorer et reste aujourd'hui la référence mondiale en anatomie. La ...
A range of published arguments against formalizing the Anthropocene as a geological time unit hav... more A range of published arguments against formalizing the Anthropocene as a geological time unit have variously suggested that it is a misleading term of non-stratigraphic origin and usage, is based on in- significant temporal and material stratigraphic content unlike that used to define older geological time units, is focused on observation of human history or speculation about the future rather than geologically significant events, and is driven more by politics than science. In response, we contend that the Anthropocene is a func- tional term that has firm geological grounding in a well-characterized stratigraphic record. This record, al- though often lithologically thin, is laterally extensive, rich in detail and already reflects substantial elapsed (and in part irreversible) change to the Earth System that is comparable to or greater in magnitude than that of previous epoch-scale transitions. The Anthropocene differs from previously defined epochs in reflecting contemporary geological change, which in turn also leads to the term’s use over a wide range of social and political discourse. Nevertheless, that use remains entirely distinct from its demonstrable stratigraphic under- pinning. Here we respond to the arguments opposing the geological validity and utility of the Anthropocene, and submit that a strong case may be made for the Anthropocene to be treated as a formal chronostratigraphic unit and added to the Geological Time Scale.
Human activity is leaving a pervasive and persistent signature on Earth. Vigorous debate
continue... more Human activity is leaving a pervasive and persistent signature on Earth. Vigorous debate continues about whether this warrants recognition as a new geologic time unit known as the Anthropocene. We review anthropogenic markers of functional changes in the Earth system through the stratigraphic record. The appearance of manufactured materials in sediments, including aluminum, plastics, and concrete, coincides with global spikes in fallout radionuclides and particulates from fossil fuel combustion. Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles have been substantially modified over the past century. Rates of sea-level rise and the extent of human perturbation of the climate system exceed Late Holocene changes. Biotic changes include species invasions worldwide and accelerating rates of extinction. These combined signals render the Anthropocene stratigraphically distinct from the Holocene and earlier epochs.
1. Production, destruction, and connection, 1750 to the present: introduction Kenneth Pomeranz an... more 1. Production, destruction, and connection, 1750 to the present: introduction Kenneth Pomeranz and J. R. McNeill Part I. Material Matrices: 2. Energy, population, and environmental change since 1750: entering the anthropocene J. R. McNeill 3. The economic history of agriculture since 1800 Giovanni Federico 4. Global industrialization: a multipolar perspective Kaoru Sugihara 5. The history of world technology, 1750 to the present Paul Josephson 6. A new world of energy Vaclav Smil Part II. Population and Disease: 7. Demography and population Massimo Livi-Bacci 8. Population politics since 1750 Alison Bashford 9. Disease and world history from 1750 Mark Harrison 10. The politics of smallpox eradication Erez Manela Part III. Politics: 11. The evolution of international law Anthony Clark Arend 12. On nationalism Aviel Roshwald 13. Assessing imperialism Danielle Kinsey 14. Self-strengthening and other political responses to the expansion of European economic and political power R. Bin Wong 15. Decolonization and its legacy Prasenjit Duara 16. Genocide Mark Levene 17. Communism and fascism Robert Strayer Part IV. World Regions: 18. The Middle East in world history since 1750 John Obert Voll 19. East Asia in world history, 1750-21st century Mark Selden 20. Latin America in world history Julie A. Charlip 21. Africa in world history Frederick Cooper 22. The United States in world history since the 1750s Ian Tyrrell 23. The economic history of the Pacific Lionel Frost.
Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment, 2019
We analyse the ‘three flaws’ to potentially defining a formal Anthropocene geological time unit a... more We analyse the ‘three flaws’ to potentially defining a formal Anthropocene geological time unit as advanced by Ruddiman (2018). (1) We recognize a long record of pre-industrial human impacts, but note that these increased in relative magnitude slowly and were strongly time-transgressive by comparison with the extraordinarily rapid, novel and near-globally synchronous changes of post-industrial time. (2) The rules of stratigraphic nomenclature do not ‘reject’ pre-industrial anthropogenic signals – these have long been a key characteristic and distinguishing feature of the Holocene. (3) In contrast to the contention that classical chronostratigraphy is now widely ignored by scientists, it remains vital and widely used in unambiguously defining geological time units and is an indispensable part of the Earth sciences. A mounting body of evidence indicates that the Anthropocene, considered as a precisely defined geological time unit that begins in the mid-20th century, is sharply distinc...
This book contains 11 separately authored chapters on the complex interrelations between societie... more This book contains 11 separately authored chapters on the complex interrelations between societies in different parts of the world and the soils they relied on from the perspectives of geomorphology, archaeology, pedology and history. The geographical spread includes ...
A recently published analysis by Lewis and Maslin (Lewis SL and Maslin MA (2015) Defining the Ant... more A recently published analysis by Lewis and Maslin (Lewis SL and Maslin MA (2015) Defining the Anthropocene. Nature 519: 171–180) has identified two new potential horizons for the Holocene−Anthropocene boundary: 1610 (associated with European colonization of the Americas), or 1964 (the peak of the excess radiocarbon signal arising from atom bomb tests). We discuss both of these novel suggestions, and consider that there is insufficient stratigraphic basis for the former, whereas placing the latter at the peak of the signal rather than at its inception does not follow normal stratigraphical practice. Wherever the boundary is eventually placed, it should be optimized to reflect stratigraphical evidence with the least possible ambiguity.
We assess the scale and extent of the physical technosphere, defined here as the summed material ... more We assess the scale and extent of the physical technosphere, defined here as the summed material output of the contemporary human enterprise. It includes active urban, agricultural and marine components, used to sustain energy and material flow for current human life, and a growing residue layer, currently only in small part recycled back into the active component. Preliminary estimates suggest a technosphere mass of approximately 30 trillion tonnes (Tt), which helps support a human biomass that, despite recent growth, is ~5 orders of magnitude smaller. The physical technosphere includes a large, rapidly growing diversity of complex objects that are potential trace fossils or ‘technofossils’. If assessed on palaeontological criteria, technofossil diversity already exceeds known estimates of biological diversity as measured by richness, far exceeds recognized fossil diversity, and may exceed total biological diversity through Earth’s history. The rapid transformation of much of Earth...
The term Anthropocene initially emerged from the Earth System science community in the early 2000... more The term Anthropocene initially emerged from the Earth System science community in the early 2000s, denoting a concept that the Holocene Epoch has terminated as a consequence of human activities. First associated with the onset of the Industrial Revolution, it was then more closely linked with the Great Acceleration in industrialization and globalization from the 1950s that fundamentally modified physical, chemical, and biological signals in geological archives. Since 2009, the Anthropocene has been evaluated by the Anthropocene Working Group, tasked with examining it for potential inclusion in the Geological Time Scale. Such inclusion requires a precisely defined chronostratigraphic and geochronological unit with a globally synchronous base and inception, with the mid-twentieth century being geologically optimal. This reflects an Earth System state in which human activities have become predominant drivers of modifications to the stratigraphic record, making it clearly distinct from the Holocene. However, more recently, the term Anthropocene has also become used for different conceptual interpretations in diverse scholarly fields, including the environmental and social sciences and humanities. These are often flexibly interpreted, commonly without reference to the geological record, and diachronous in time; they often extend much further back in time than the mid-twentieth century. These broader conceptualizations encompass wide ranges and levels of human impacts and interactions with the environment. Here, we clarify what the Anthropocene is in geological terms and compare the proposed geological (chronostratigraphic) definition with some of these broader interpretations and applications of the term "Anthropocene," showing both their overlaps and differences. Plain Language Summary The Anthropocene concept, that modern human impacts on Earth have been sufficient to bring in a new geological epoch, is only two decades old. In that short time, its use has grown explosively, not only in the Earth sciences but also far more widely to spread through the sciences generally, to spill over into the social sciences, arts, and humanities. This has led to welcome discussions between diverse scholarly communities, though also to some very different interpretations of the Anthropocene, when interpreted through different disciplinary lenses. Notably, the geological ZALASIEWICZ ET AL.
Since 2009, the Working Group on the ‘Anthropocene’ (or, commonly, AWG for Anthropocene Working G... more Since 2009, the Working Group on the ‘Anthropocene’ (or, commonly, AWG for Anthropocene Working Group), has been critically analysing the case for formalization of this proposed but still informal geological time unit. The study to date has mainly involved establishing the overall nature of the Anthropocene as a potential chronostratigraphic/geochronologic unit, and exploring the stratigraphic proxies, including several that are novel in geology, that might be applied to its characterization and definition. A preliminary summary of evidence and interim recommendations was presented by the Working Group at the 35th International Geological Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, in August 2016, together with results of voting by members of the AWG indicating the current balance of opinion on major questions surrounding the Anthropocene. The majority opinion within the AWG holds the Anthropocene to be stratigraphically real, and recommends formalization at epoch/series rank based on a mid-20th century boundary. Work is proceeding towards a formal proposal based upon selection of an appropriate Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), as well as auxiliary stratotypes. Among the array of proxies that might be used as a primary marker, anthropogenic radionuclides associated with nuclear arms testing are the most promising; potential secondary markers include plastic, carbon isotope patterns and industrial fly ash. All these proxies have excellent global or near-global correlation potential in a wide variety of sedimentary bodies, both marine and non-marine.
Atlas d'anatomie humaine. Tome 1 : Tête, cou, membre supérieur (5e édition française) avec l... more Atlas d'anatomie humaine. Tome 1 : Tête, cou, membre supérieur (5e édition française) avec livret Depuis plus d'un siècle et à travers ses nombreuses éditions successives, le SOBOTTA a su toujours s'améliorer et reste aujourd'hui la référence mondiale en anatomie. La ...
A range of published arguments against formalizing the Anthropocene as a geological time unit hav... more A range of published arguments against formalizing the Anthropocene as a geological time unit have variously suggested that it is a misleading term of non-stratigraphic origin and usage, is based on in- significant temporal and material stratigraphic content unlike that used to define older geological time units, is focused on observation of human history or speculation about the future rather than geologically significant events, and is driven more by politics than science. In response, we contend that the Anthropocene is a func- tional term that has firm geological grounding in a well-characterized stratigraphic record. This record, al- though often lithologically thin, is laterally extensive, rich in detail and already reflects substantial elapsed (and in part irreversible) change to the Earth System that is comparable to or greater in magnitude than that of previous epoch-scale transitions. The Anthropocene differs from previously defined epochs in reflecting contemporary geological change, which in turn also leads to the term’s use over a wide range of social and political discourse. Nevertheless, that use remains entirely distinct from its demonstrable stratigraphic under- pinning. Here we respond to the arguments opposing the geological validity and utility of the Anthropocene, and submit that a strong case may be made for the Anthropocene to be treated as a formal chronostratigraphic unit and added to the Geological Time Scale.
Human activity is leaving a pervasive and persistent signature on Earth. Vigorous debate
continue... more Human activity is leaving a pervasive and persistent signature on Earth. Vigorous debate continues about whether this warrants recognition as a new geologic time unit known as the Anthropocene. We review anthropogenic markers of functional changes in the Earth system through the stratigraphic record. The appearance of manufactured materials in sediments, including aluminum, plastics, and concrete, coincides with global spikes in fallout radionuclides and particulates from fossil fuel combustion. Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles have been substantially modified over the past century. Rates of sea-level rise and the extent of human perturbation of the climate system exceed Late Holocene changes. Biotic changes include species invasions worldwide and accelerating rates of extinction. These combined signals render the Anthropocene stratigraphically distinct from the Holocene and earlier epochs.
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Papers by John McNeill
continues about whether this warrants recognition as a new geologic time unit known as
the Anthropocene. We review anthropogenic markers of functional changes in the Earth
system through the stratigraphic record. The appearance of manufactured materials in
sediments, including aluminum, plastics, and concrete, coincides with global spikes in
fallout radionuclides and particulates from fossil fuel combustion. Carbon, nitrogen, and
phosphorus cycles have been substantially modified over the past century. Rates of
sea-level rise and the extent of human perturbation of the climate system exceed Late
Holocene changes. Biotic changes include species invasions worldwide and accelerating
rates of extinction. These combined signals render the Anthropocene stratigraphically
distinct from the Holocene and earlier epochs.
continues about whether this warrants recognition as a new geologic time unit known as
the Anthropocene. We review anthropogenic markers of functional changes in the Earth
system through the stratigraphic record. The appearance of manufactured materials in
sediments, including aluminum, plastics, and concrete, coincides with global spikes in
fallout radionuclides and particulates from fossil fuel combustion. Carbon, nitrogen, and
phosphorus cycles have been substantially modified over the past century. Rates of
sea-level rise and the extent of human perturbation of the climate system exceed Late
Holocene changes. Biotic changes include species invasions worldwide and accelerating
rates of extinction. These combined signals render the Anthropocene stratigraphically
distinct from the Holocene and earlier epochs.