Adventures in the Anthropocene: A Journey to the Heart of the Planet We Made
Gaia Vince
Language: English
Pages: 438
ISBN: 1571313583
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Watching this consensus develop from her seat as an editor at Nature, Gaia Vince couldn’t help but wonder if the greatest cause of this dramatic planetary change—humans’ singular ability to adapt and innovate—might also hold the key to our survival. And so she left her professional life in London and set out to travel the world in search of ordinary people making extraordinary changes and, in many cases, thriving.
Part science journal, part travelogue, Adventures in the Anthropocene recounts Vince’s journey, and introduces an essential new perspective on the future of life on Earth.
produced a new, socially mobile, egalitarian society. The world’s giant cities force people to live together in close but diverse communities, and it has generated a spirit of cooperation – a wartime mentality – as people unite against the same external threats of resource limitations, climate disaster and disease. Every year there seems to be another major international agreement to deal with global issues from emissions to overfishing, with governments egging each other on to greater, faster
which means more carbon in the atmosphere and more brown haze. Which means more warming. The atmosphere of the Anthropocene is quite unlike any atmosphere the planet has known, and the effects of humanity’s impacts on our aerial ocean will leave their mark on the world for millennia to come. The chemicals we are introducing into the air will find their way into the oceans, rocks and living parts of our world. Corals and trees are ingesting a different ratio of isotopes (forms) of carbon from the
world’s first floating eighteen-hole golf course, and, an 800-room floating hotel. According to the plans, the floating islands will be interconnected by underwater tunnels, and the golf course will feature an underwater clubhouse adjoining two luxury hotels. ‘The reality of floating islands could start to shape future urban landscapes, with further scope for agriculture, offices, housing and leisure,’ the company says. ‘This will lead to new economic opportunities where governments can
fish, were considered too powerful for human adulteration. Perhaps the first clue that they were not was back in the 1800s, when the whaling industry nearly exterminated from the planet the biggest creatures Earth has ever known. Now, humanity’s influence can be seen throughout the oceans and we are in danger of losing key species we depend on. We land mammals have never been more part of the marine environment: most of us are coastal and, like Maldivians, many of us live at sea level – we will
families. We’re a long way from Switzerland here. And this is one of the most improved parts of the country. In trying to grasp the enormity of the development task facing the poor world at the beginning of Anthropocene, Nepal is a good place to start. Sandwiched politically, culturally and geographically between two of the world’s fastest emerging economies, Nepal has avoided following either the Chinese or Indian model for national growth and slid further into decline. It is one of the ten