A reoccurring topic in our classes is the Anthropocene: an epoch defined by the measurable impact of humanity on the geologic record. This impact can be seen through the increased concentration of greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide or methane in the atmosphere, or in plastics that have actually fused to rock, creating a plastic layer in sediment that may confuse future extraterrestrial archaeologists. There is some debate about when exactly the Anthropocene begins- could it be the start of industrialization? Or the end of World War II and the rise of plastic production and rampant consumerism? Or perhaps even earlier when man discovered fire for the first time? Regardless of these finer details, a much more important question to ask is should this era be considered the golden age of humanity, or the beginning of its downfall?
Symptoms of the Anthropocene, notice how everything jumps around 1950
The word “Anthropocene” uses the prefex “anthro-” quite literally meaning “human”. An issue that arises in the dubbing of this era “the Anthropocene” is that it implies that they symptoms that characterize it- pollution, ecological destruction, etc.- are the results of the actions of all of humanity, when those truly responsible are a small group of industrial capitalists and exploitationists. Those that seek to commoditize the world, to cut away pieces of our environment for personal profit, do not represent humanity as a whole. And yes, we all suffer from the impacts of the sins of a few, lining their pockets through exploitation of labor and the resources of the natural world, but this attitude does not encapsulate the relationship that all people have to nature. Many use their fortune in a late-stage capitalist hellscape to benefit ecological efforts and offset the impacts of industrial waste or overuse of resources. And many who are not wealthy enough to make large-scale impacts of their own seek to respect the world we all live in at a local level, vote for representatives with conservationist (not to be confused with conservative) views, and participate in grassroots environmental programs. Alas the system- at least in the USA- is gamed towards profit, even for its politicians. Lobbying allows wealthy donors with exploitative motives- looking at the Koch brothers in particular- to boost candidates with similar views and even sway the decision making of residing lawmakers. Little effort needs to be made by the wealthy elite to undo or entirely overshadow the efforts of working-class conservation-minded citizens. The Anthropocene may refer to all of humanity, but its terrible symptoms have undoubtedly been the result of the motives of a greedy few.
The Anthropocene highlights not only exploitative economic systems, but the faults in our own government that uphold and protect these systems. Corporations can weigh the cost of paying fines for polluting and the cost of refining production practices to avoid such pollution. Often, pollution wins out simply due to profit. These companies are able to flagrantly play with the health of entire populations, treating the harmful chemicals they produce as a simple numbers game without remorse for the effects their toxic industry can have. As I have mentioned, corporate interests tend to be backed by the government as well. Lobbying and payoffs for politicians from polluting industry leads to conflicts of interest in our nation’s leaders. Those directly benefiting from lower regulations on pollution will tend to continue lowering regulations to line their own pockets. Shamelessly lying to the American people who are being poisoned by the decisions of the very person voted in to lead and protect them, an industrious, orange-toned president has tried rephrasing such polluting industries as “freedom gas” or “good, clean coal”. Blatantly corrupt politicians that throw away the health and lives of their constituents to make a quick dollar must be held accountable for any constructive pollution prevention to occur in the future, or for the Anthropocene to be highlighted with something other than industrial blight.
Consider, this only shows human deaths. Ecological impacts are proportionally immense.
Capitalist and product-based industry has led to pollution and exploitation of resources on an unprecedented scale. We are trying to separate ourselves from nature and shape our environment to meet our materialistic or aesthetic needs, without much thought to the ecosystems we ravage, the species we hunt to extinction, or the lives our future children must lead in the wake of our ignorant overconsumption, pollution, and commodification of the earth. The Anthropocene is not a shining moment of progress and advancement for humanity, but a critical period to determine if we will coexist with other life and cherish our natural surroundings or succumb to an exploitationist and dominating existence.
Written by Gus Winiker.