The Anthropocene
We have reached an unprecedented moment in our planet’s history where humans have become the single most defining force on the planet, affecting the Earth more than all other natural forces combined.
Since 2009, scientists from the Anthropocene Working Group believe we have left the Holocene and entered a new geologic epoch they call the Anthropocene, an era where humanity’s incursions are so absolute and far-reaching that they will endure in geologic time. The Anthropocene is characterized by humanity’s terraforming of the earth through agriculture, industrialization, urbanization, resource extraction, and trade.
To some, the term "Anthropocene" carries a tinge of that chauvinistic human individuality and centrality it aims to highlight. That we have succeeded in taming the land and transforming it to suit our needs. That our collective presence on this Earth is a force to be reckoned with, rivalling the forces of nature itself. That we are the axis around which the world turns. This couldn't be further from the truth.
Anthropocene is an exploratory critique of our hypocritical relationship with the natural environment through the human systems we've imposed upon it, and how our society is evolving in the fight against climate change and social inequality.
Commercial sprawl – San José, California
Zanker Resource Recovery Facility – San José, California
Water-Intensive Agriculture – Salinas River Valley, California
Suburban sprawl – Milpitas, California
Rural Infrastructure – Cholame, California
