“Human Domination of the Earth’s Ecosystem” and “Conservation in the Anthropocene” are two very intriguing articles that offer differing viewpoints on the current state of the Earth and how human processes are transforming it. Whereas Vitousek et al in “Human Domination of the Earth’s Ecosystem” focus on the negative effects of human development on the Earth’s ecosystem, Kareiva et al in “Conservation in the Anthropocene” focus on the flaws of current conservation techniques. Vitousek et al argue that humans must reduce the rate at which they alter the Earth, while Kareiva et al argue that new conservation techniques must embrace development and human well-being while also protecting the Earth’s ecosystem. Although this is an interesting point, the article does not elaborate on how this can be accomplished. While Vitousek and his coauthors take a more panicked approach on the current state of the Earth’s ecosystem, Kareiva and his coauthors believe that nature is “resilient” and can “recover rapidly from even the most powerful human disturbances.” Vitousek believes in a more conventional approach to saving the planet, while Kareiva supports a more unorthodox model. Nevertheless, both articles help the reader grasp the concept of the Anthropocene.
According to these two articles, the Anthropocene is defined as the new geological era in which humans dominate the Earth’s ecosystem. More specifically, the Anthropocene focuses on the extent to which human activities affect the Earth’s habitat. Since the industrial revolution, nature has taken a back seat to economic progress. Humans have become more concerned with improving their lives at the expense of the Earth. As stated by Vitousek et al, every ecosystem on Earth has either been directly or indirectly affected by humans since the industrial revolution. Since that time, humans have transformed the land to grow crops, increased carbon dioxide emissions tremendously, and introduced new species of plants and animals to foreign places. This, in turn, has led to climate change, restructuring of the food chain, and the extinction of certain species. Humans will continue to dominate the Earth’s landscape and as the population continues to grow, more and more of the Earth’s resources will have to be utilized. The alteration of the Earth’s ecosystem is a vicious cycle spurred by population growth.
The Anthropocene is an extremely useful concept because it is very relevant to today’s world. As the population continues to exponentially grow, and countries such as China continue to industrialize and release more harmful chemicals into the air, more of the Earth’s land and seas will be transformed. The effects of these human actions are already tangible. For example, global warming is posing a major threat by increasing worldwide temperatures and melting the polar ice caps. In addition, there have been changes in weather patterns, as shown by the overly active hurricane seasons in recent years. Although strides have been made to reduce pollution and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, they are not enough. Like Kareiva et al argue, a balance must be found between protecting nature while also sustaining human communities. How to achieve this balance remains a mystery. However, I believe more regulations should be passed by governments around the world and more money should be raised by nongovernmental organizations to decrease the rate of deterioration of this beautiful planet.
