Global Environmental Change

Throughout geologic history, Earth has experienced dramatic environmental changes from forces such as plate tectonics and glaciation. However, recent human activities have accelerated the rate and scale of global changes immensely—so much so that many authorities now suggest that the Holocene is ended and a new geologic epoch has been entered: the Anthropocene. Human impacts on Earth have multiplied as technology develops and populations grow. The rate of change has increased much faster than just the population growth rate, as humans have moved from merely procuring food and shelter to exploiting Earth for myriad products to add comfort to their lives and to using increasingly advanced technology that creates a variety of waste products. Global environmental change encompasses the study of all these anthropogenic impacts ...