Welcome to the Anthropocene


What is the role of nature in human life? How do our attitudes, understanding and assessment of nature shape our environmental impacts on earth? During the past 10,000 years, humans have become the primary driver of changes to the EarthÂ’s surface, ecosystems, biodiversity and chemistry of the atmosphere and oceans. The Anthropocene describes this new geological epoch of humans and the future of our planet is dependent on the choices we humans make, both individually and collectively. This course will explore the interface between humans and the natural world through an examination of cultural, economic, philosophical and scientific values of the environment and the role that humans continue to play in the alteration of the planet.