Encyclopedia of the Anthropocene presents a currency-based, global synthesis cataloguing the impact of humanity's global ecological footprint. Covering a multitude of aspects related to Climate Change, Biodiversity, Contaminants, Geological, Energy and Ethics, leading scientists provide foundational essays that enable researchers to define and scrutinize information, ideas, relationships, meanings and ideas within the Anthropocene concept.

Table of Contents

• Acknowledgments and Dedications
• Biographies
• Permission Acknowledgement
• Part I: Geologic History and Energy
• Introduction: Geologic History and Energy
• The Anthropocene: How the Great Acceleration Is Transforming the Planet at Unprecedented Levels
• Basis for Establishment of Geologic Eras, Periods, and Epochs
• Finding a “Golden Spike” to Mark the Anthropocene
• Arguments for a formal Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point for the Anthropocene
• The Geomorphology of the Human Age
• The 1950s as the Beginning of the Anthropocene
• Sediments of the Anthropocene
• Historical Overview of the Natural Gas Industry
• Concrete: The Most Abundant Novel Rock Type of the Anthropocene
• Hydrology in the Anthropocene
• Fluxes of Trace Metals on a Global Scale
• Impacts of Anthropocene Fossil Fuel Combustion on Atmospheric Iron Supply to the Ocean
• Greatly Increased CO2
• Anthropogenic Soils as the Marker
• Plastics in the Ocean
• Evidence in Polar Ice Records
• Humanly Modified Ground
• Plastics and the Anthropocene
• The Anthropocene—A Potential Stratigraphic Definition Based on Black Carbon, Char, and Soot Records
• Magnetic Particulates as Markers of Fossil Fuel Burning
• Spheroidal Carbonaceous Fly Ash Particles in the Anthropocene
• Isotopic Signatures
• Geochemical Records in Speleothems
• Chemical Signals of the Anthropocene
• The Evidence for Human Agency in the Late Pleistocene Megafaunal Extinctions
• Editor's Note
• Increased Acidity of Ocean Waters
• Loss of Coral Reefs
• Earth's Sixth Mass Extinction Event
• Paleoclimatology
• Rewilding the Pleistocene Fauna
• Development of Coal-Fired Steam Technology in Britain
• Rise of Airline Transportation After WWII
• Environmental Effects of Terrestrial Oil Spills
• Rise in Motorized Transportation and Weapons in the World Wars
• Sustainable Energy Development; The Role of Geothermal Power
• Environmental Issues Associated with Energy Technologies and Natural Resource Utilization
• City Planning and Energy Use
• Energy Use in Food System
• Introduction to Renewable Energy
• Wind Farms
• Industrial Energy Use, Status and Trends
• Environmental Change and Energy
• Energy and Natural Resources
• Combustion to Concentration to Warming: What Do Climate Targets Mean for Emissions? Climate Change and the Global Carbon Cycle
• Overview Article for the Geologic History Section
• Climate Change and Energy
• Metrics for Greenhouse Gas Equivalence
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Energy Systems, Comparison, and Overview
• Water Conflict Case Study – Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam: Turning from Conflict to Cooperation
• Thinning Combined With Biomass Energy Production Impacts Fire-Adapted Forests in Western United States and May Increase Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Part II: Climate Change
• Introduction: Climate Change
• The Anthropocene Climate: Humanity on a Planetary Collision Course
• The Carbon Cycle and Global Change: Too Much of a Good Thing
• Glaciers in the Anthropocene: Fighting an Uphill Battle
• Oceans and Global Change: One Blue Planet
• Freshwater and Global Change: Wellspring of Life
• Tropical Rainforests and Climate Change
• Primary Forests: Definition, Status and Future Prospects for Global Conservation
• Evolutionary Responses to Climate Change
• Evolutionary Responses to Climate Change
• Economics of Reducing Emissions From Deforestation and Forest Degradation: Incentives to Change Forest Use Behavior
• Economics of Sea Level Rise
• Glaciers, Topography, and Climate
• Global Change Impacts on the Biosphere
• Insects and Climate Change: Variable Responses Will Lead to Climate Winners and Losers
• Cold-Water Fishes and Climate Change in North America
• Impacts of Climate Change on Amphibian Biodiversity
• Climate Change Effects on Terrestrial Mammals: A Review of Global Impacts of Ecological Niche Decay in Selected Regions of High Mammal Importance
• Marine Mammals: At the Intersection of Ice, Climate Change, and Human Interactions
• Species Responses to Climate Change: Integrating Individual-Based Ecology Into Community and Ecosystem Studies
• Conservation Issues: Polar Seas
• Mass Changes in Antarctica in Response to Changing Climate
• Conservation issues: Tundra ecosystems
• Climate Change Challenges for Africa
• Impacts of Climate Change in Central Asia
• Climate Change in South America
• Climate Change Effects on European Heat Waves and Human Health
• Impact of Climate Variability and Change on Tropical Cyclones in the South Pacific
• Climate Change Impacts on Atolls and Island Nations in the South Pacific
• Climate Change May Trigger Broad Shifts in North America's Pacific Coastal Rainforests
• Ecoregional Planning and Climate Change Adaptation
• Strategies for Climate Change Adaptation: A Synthesis
• Whole Community Adaptation to Climate Change
• Climate Change Adaptation in Practice: Finding What You Need to Know
• Conservation Issues: Wildlife Connectivity for Climate Change Adaptation
• Microrefugia and Climate Change Adaptation: A Practical Guide for Wildland Managers
• Assisted Migration as a Conservation Approach Under Climate Change
• The Crown of the Continent: A Case Study of Collaborative Climate Adaptation
• Supporting Climate-Informed Marine Fisheries Management
• Taking Action on Climate Change in the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem
• Robust Conservation Planning for Coast Redwood in a Changing Climate
• Global Change
• Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative: Robust Conservation and Climate Adaptation in Action
• Indigenous Knowledge and Practice for Climate Change Adaptation
• Human Footprint Affects US Carbon Balance More Than Climate Change
• Atmospheric Sciences and Global Change: All I Need is the Air That I Breathe
• Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks
• Human Activities and Climate Change
• Ocean Acidification and Warming: The economic toll and implications for the social cost of carbon
• Aerosol, Climate, and Sustainability
• Climate Change and Health
• The Impact of Climate Change on Public Health, Human Rights, and Social Justice
• Lyme Disease Epidemic Increasing Globally Due to Climate Change and Human Activities
• Climate Change, Food Security, and Population Health in the Anthropocene
• Impacts of Climate Change on Subsistence-Oriented Communities
• Impacts of Global Changes in Cities
• The Social Cost of Carbon
• UN Convention on Wetlands (RAMSAR): Implications for Human Health
• Denial Versus Reality of Climate Change
• Denial—The Key Barrier to Solving Climate Change
• Cold Facts, Hot Topics, and Uncertain Futures: Political and Industry Responses to Climate Changes in Greenland
• The Law of Climate Change Mitigation: An Overview
• Climate Change and Political Instability
• Part III: Biodiversity
• Introduction: Biodiversity
• The Status of Biodiversity in the Anthropocene: Trends, Threats, and Actions
• 6th Mass Extinction
• Latitudinal Gradients of Biodiversity: Theory and Empirical Patterns
• Conservation Biogeography: Monitoring the Status of Earth's Biota
• Conservation Biogeography of Ecosystem Services
• Wilderness and Intact Ecosystems
• Anthropocene: Island Biogeography
• Biodiversity and Disturbance
• Rise of Human Influence on the World's Biota
• Biodiversity Hotspots
• Modern Threats to the Stability of Biological Communities
• A Decade of the Resource-Based Habitat Paradigm: The Semantics of Habitat Loss
• Indicators of Anthropogenic Change and Biological Risk in Coastal Aquatic Environments
• Trends in Global Biodiversity: Soil Biota and Processes
• Trends in Biodiversity: Insects
• Trends in Biodiversity, Plants
• Trends in Biodiversity: Freshwater
• The Future for Reptiles: Advances and Challenges in the Anthropocene
• Trends in Biodiversity: Vertebrates
• Conservation Issues: Temperate Rainforests
• Conservation Issues: Oceanic Ecosystems
• Conservation Issues: Temperate Ocean Regions
• Biogeographical Shifts and Climate Change
• Biodiversity Response to Habitat Loss and Fragmentation
• Dams and River Fragmentation
• Climate Change and Biodiversity: Impacts
• Novelty in Ecosystems
• Invasive Species
• Genetic Responses to Rapid Change in the Environment During the Anthropocene
• Measuring Biodiversity
• Effective Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring
• Conserving Biodiversity and Sustaining Ecosystem Services in the Anthropocene: Understanding the Social–Ecological Legacy of Acid Rain in the Adirondack Park (USA)
• Tools for Monitoring Global Deforestation
• The Convention on Biological Diversity
• The Endangered Species Act
• The IUCN Red List: Assessing Extinction Risk in the Anthropocene
• Key Biodiversity Areas
• Biosphere Reserves in the Anthropocene
• NGOs and Biodiversity Conservation in the Anthropocene
• The Impacts of Conflict on Biodiversity in the Anthropocene
• The Natural and Social History of the Indigenous Lands and Protected Areas Corridor of the Xingu River Basin and Prospects for Protection
• Extinction Risk in the Anthropocene
• Resilience
• Plant Conservation in the Anthropocene: Definitely Not Win–Win But Maybe Not Lose–Lose?
• Conserving Biodiversity by Restoring Ecological Processes
• The Growing Importance of Reintroductions and Translocations as Tools for Conservation in an Age of Rapid Climate Change
• Management of Nonnative Invasive Species in the Anthropocene
• Ecosystem Services in Theory and Practice
• Market-Based Approaches to Biodiversity Conservation: An Overview of Experience in Developed and Developing Countries
• Biomimicry/Bioprospecting
• Conservation Financing—Looking Forward
• Climate Change and Biodiversity: Conservation
• Which Way Forward? Past and New Perspectives on Community-Based Conservation in the Anthropocene
• Systematic Conservation Planning in the Anthropocene
• The Future of the Global Commons: A Call for Collective Action
• Part IV: Ethics
• Introduction: Ethics
• Environmental Ethics
• Finding an Ethical Foundation for Economics in the Anthropocene
• Ethics for the Anthropocene Epoch
• Sustainability and Resilience
• Anthropocentrism in the Anthropocene
• Climate Change Ethics
• Evolving Moral Status
• Ecomodernism and the Anthropocene
• Transhumanism and Posthumanism
• Beneficence
• Global Justice
• Liberty: The Future of Freedom on a Resilient Planet
• Replacing the Anthropocene
• Human Rights in the Anthropocene
• Solidarity
• Virtue
• Vulnerability
• Aging in the Anthropocene
• Suffering in the Anthropocene Era: Contributions of Phenomenology to Understanding the World-Constituting Role of Subjectivity
• Cosmology and Ecology
• Christianity, Perspectives on the Anthropocene
• Taoism
• Judaism and the Anthropocene
• Toward a New Humanism in the Age of Anthropogenic Climate Change: On Sylvia Wynter
• Spiritual Ecology
• Ecosystems and Human Well-Being
• Endangered Species and Biodiversity
• Biodiversity Conservation
• Common Resource Governance
• Novel Ecosystems: Adaptive Management and Social Values in the Anthropocene
• Water Ethics
• Overshoot
• Rewilding
• Estimating Environmental Health Costs: Monetary Valuation of Greenhouse Gases
• Global Governance in the Anthropocene
• Earth Jurisprudence
• Uneconomic Growth
• Society
• International Waters: Conflict, Cooperation, and Transformation
• Disaster Ethics
• Pandemics in the Era of the Anthropocene
• World Human Population Problems
• Population: Growth, Decline, and Control
• Science, Technology, and Society Studies
• Synthetic Biology
• The Use of Biotechnology for Nonhuman Organisms
• Human Genetic Engineering: Biotic Justice in the Anthropocene?
• Precautionary Principle: Current Understandings in Law and Society
• Ecological Risk in the Anthropocene: An Evaluation of Theory, Values, and Social Construct
• Part V: Contaminants
• Introduction: Contaminants
• Contaminants in the Age of the Anthropocene
• Ozone, SOx and NOx, Particulate Matter, and Urban Air
• Acid Rain: Causes, Consequences, and Recovery in Terrestrial, Aquatic, and Human Systems
• Chlorinated Fluorocarbons and Other Ozone-Destroying Chemicals
• Contamination of Our Oceans by Plastics
• The Rise of CO2 and Ocean Acidification
• The Proliferation of Nanomaterials: Possible Health and Environmental Consequences
• Oil Spills in Coastal Wetlands
• Metal Pollution
• Groundwater Pollution: Sources, Mechanisms, and Prevention
• Organochlorine Pesticides, Rachel Carson, and the Environmental Movement
• Organophosphorous and Carbamate Insecticides: Impacts on Birds
• Systemic Insecticides and Their Environmental Repercussions
• Pyrethroid Insecticides—Exposure and Impacts in the Aquatic Environment
• The Impact of Pesticides on Our Freshwater Resources
• Organotins: Sources and Impacts on Health and Environment
• Atrazine and Amphibians: A Story of Profits, Controversy, and Animus
• Roundup Ready! Glyphosate and the Current Controversy Over the World's Leading Herbicide
• Rodenticides: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
• The Killing Fields: The Use of Pesticides and Other Contaminants to Poison Wildlife in Africa
• Tetraethyl Lead, Paints, Pipes, and Other Lead Exposure Routes: The Impact on Human Health
• Lead Use in Hunting and Fishing—Consequences to Birdlife, Humans, and the Environment
• The Effects of Methylmercury on Wildlife: A Comprehensive Review and Approach for Interpretation
• Radionuclides: Sources, Speciation, Transfer and Impacts in the Aquatic and Terrestrial Environment
• Polychlorinated Biphenyls: Sources, Fate, Effects on Birds and Mammals, and Mechanisms of Action
• Arsenic: Exposure, Toxicology, Use, and Misuse
• Fertilizers and Their Contaminants in Soils, Surface and Groundwater
• Environmental Epigenetics: The Envirogenomic Interface
• A Cautionary Tale: Diclofenac and Its Profound Impact on Vultures
• Contamination From the Agricultural Use of Growth Promoters and Medicines
• Human and Veterinary Drugs in the Environment
• E-waste: Environmental and Health Challenges