第1888期:Anthropocene: New Human Epoch

Since the middle of the 20th century, humans have had a very strong effect on planet Earth. These effects have included climate change, species loss and pollution. Humanity’s impact has been so strong that scientists say a new geological epoch began then.The scientists call it the Anthropocene epoch. The word comes from the Greek terms for “human” and “new.” This epoch started sometime between 1950 and 1954, the scientists say. There is evidence worldwide of the harmful impact on the Earth’s health of burning fossil fuels, dropping nuclear weapons and releasing fertilizers and plastics on land and in water.

自20世纪中叶以来，人类对地球产生了非常强烈的影响。这些影响包括气候变化、物种丧失和污染。人类的影响如此之大，以至于科学家们表示，一个新的地质时代从那时开始。科学家们称之为人类世时代。这个词来自希腊语中的“人类”和“新”。科学家们说，这个时代开始于 1950 年至 1954 年之间。全世界有证据表明，燃烧化石燃料、投放核武器以及在陆地和水中释放化肥和塑料对地球健康产生有害影响。

“It’s quite clear that the scale of change has intensified unbelievably and that has to be human impact,” said University of Leicester geologist Colin Waters. He led the Anthropocene Working Group. The scientists say the power of humans is comparable with the meteorite that crashed into Earth 66 million years ago. The meteorite killed off the dinosaurs and started the Cenozoic Era, or what is known as the age of mammals. While that meteorite started a whole new era, the working group is proposing that humans only started a new epoch. An epoch is a much smaller geological time period. The scientists are proposing a small but deep lake outside of Toronto, Canada, to place a historic marker. The lake is called Crawford Lake. The group aims to decide on an exact start date of the Anthropocene by measuring plutonium levels at the bottom of Crawford Lake.

莱斯特大学地质学家科林·沃特斯表示：“很明显，变化的规模已经令人难以置信地加剧，而这必然是人类的影响。” 他领导了人类世工作组。科学家表示，人类的力量可与6600万年前坠落地球的陨石相媲美。陨石消灭了恐龙，开启了新生代，即所谓的哺乳动物时代。虽然那颗陨石开启了一个全新的时代，但工作组提出，人类只是开启了一个新时代。纪元是一个小得多的地质时期。科学家们提议在加拿大多伦多郊外建造一个小而深的湖泊，以放置一个历史标记。这个湖叫做克劳福德湖。该小组的目标是通过测量克劳福德湖底部的钚含量来确定人类世的确切开始日期。

Crawford Lake is 29 meters deep and 24,000 square meters wide. It was chosen over 11 other sites because the yearly effects of human activity on the earth's soil, atmosphere and biology are clearly shown in its layers of sediment. That includes everything from the effect of nuclear weapons to pollution to rising temperatures.There are clear signs in Crawford Lake showing that, starting in 1950, “the effects of humans overwhelm the Earth system,” said Francine McCarthy. She is part of the working group who specializes in that site as an Earth sciences professor at Brock University in Canada. The Anthropocene shows the power — and hubris — of humankind, several scientists said. Hubris is a great or foolish amount of confidence.

克劳福德湖深29米，宽24000平方米。它之所以比其他 11 个地点被选中，是因为人类活动每年对地球土壤、大气和生物的影响在其沉积层中清晰可见。这包括从核武器的影响到污染再到气温上升的一切。克劳福德湖有明显迹象表明，从 1950 年开始，“人类的影响压倒了地球系统，”弗朗辛·麦卡锡说。她是加拿大布鲁克大学地球科学教授，专门研究该站点的工作组成员之一。几位科学家表示，人类世展示了人类的力量和傲慢。狂妄自大是一种极大或愚蠢的自信。

“The hubris is in imagining that we are in control," said former U.S. White House science adviser John Holdren. He was not part of the working group of scientists. He disagrees with the group’s proposed start date. Instead, he wants one much earlier. Holdren said the power of humans to change the environment is far greater than their understanding of the impacts. Geologists measure time in eons, eras, periods, epochs and ages, with eons being the longest. The scientific working group is proposing that Anthropocene Epoch followed the Holocene Epoch. Holocene started about 11,700 years ago at the end of an ice age. The proposal still needs to be approved by three different groups of geologists. It could be signed at a major conference next year. Naomi Oreskes is a science historian with Harvard University and a working group member. She said if there is no change to harmful human activities, “we are headed for tragedy.”

美国前白宫科学顾问约翰·霍尔德伦 (John Holdren) 表示：“狂妄自大的想法是认为我们掌控一切。”他不是科学家工作组的成员。他不同意该工作组提议的开始日期。相反，他希望早得多 霍尔德伦表示，人类改变环境的力量远远大于他们对环境影响的理解。地质学家以亿万、纪元、时期、纪元和年龄来测量时间，其中亿万是最长的。科学工作组提议人类世紧随全新世之后。全新世始于大约 11,700 年前的冰河时代末期。该提案仍需得到三个不同地质学家小组的批准。该协议可能会在明年的一次重要会议上签署。内奥米·奥雷斯克斯 (Naomi Oreskes) 是哈佛大学的科学史学家，也是工作组成员。她说，如果有害的人类活动不改变，“我们将走向悲剧。”