Please join us on Wednesday October 19 at 4pm in Physical Science (Building #19) room 103 for a seminar presented by Ed Grumbine from the Grand Canyon Trust. He will present a talk titled Progress Toward a Better Anthropocene in The Greater Himalaya.
Refreshments will begin at 3:45pm. We always appreciate those who bring a personal mug for coffee or tea.
Abstract:
As members of the International Union of Geological Scientists debate whether there is sufficient evidence to formally declare a new Anthropocene Epoch to replace the Holocene, the idea of a human-dominated Earth has fired the publics’ imagination. Climate change, loss of forests, rising sea levels, disruption of global nutrient cycles-- most people believe that the Anthropocene provides abundant examples of the non-sustainable behavior of Homo sapiens. Based on results of local and regional field work in climate adaptation and water governance across the Himalaya region, I provide an alternative story featuring five themes that portray the potential of the Anthropocene to be a positive force for change in how humans interact with the planet. How we respond to the challenges of this period of uncertainty and change in Earth systems remains up to us.
