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The Anthropocene
The concept of the ‘Anthropocene’ refers to the idea that the Earth has entered a new geological epoch which is characterised by unprecedented human impacts on global natural systems. While the process of formally recognising the Anthropocene as a new geological epoch is still on-going, scientific studies confirm that never before have humans so fundamentally interfered with the natural environment: chemical pollution, land-use change, freshwater use, atmospheric pollution, changes in biochemical cycles and activities resulting in biodiversity loss and ozone depletion are fundamentally affecting natural systems worldwide. Proponents of the concept of the Anthropocene argue that these changes have moved the Earth beyond the stable parameters of the Holocene, the geological epoch that began after the last ice age 12,000 years ago and which allowed mankind to flourish. The concept of the Anthropocene, therefore, connotes not just an extension or intensification of existing environmental pressures, but a more fundamental shift towards increased levels of instability, unpredictability and risk. In this session, we will discuss implications of the ‘Anthropocene’ for environmental law and governance.
Questions:
Do you agree that environmental law should (not) be concerned with protecting and restoring nature anymore?
Does environmental law and governance have an ‘anthropocentric bias’? Should that bias be reduced and if so how?
How has the concept of the Anthropocene affected your research and/or your disciplinary context?
Suggested readings:
1- PJ Crutzen, ‘Geology of mankind’ (2002) Nature, 415(3) available here
2 - T Stephens, ‘What is the Point of International Environmental Law Scholarship in the Anthropocene?’ (2019) 121-139, available here