anthro(po)cene

[Benjamin Zimmer]

The term "anthropocene", to quote Wikipedia, "is used by some
scientists to describe the most recent period in the Earth's history,
starting in the 18th century when the activities of the human race
first began to have a significant global impact on the Earth's climate
and ecosystems." It was apparently coined by Paul Crutzen in 2000.
(Erin McKean posted here in Sep. 2003 about Crutzen's coinage claim.)

Andrew Revkin, a New York Times science writer, has pointed out that
he came up with a similar coinage in 1992: "anthrocene", as used in
his book _Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast_. From Revkin's
Amazon blog (2/7/07):

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http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A1L2TYV56JXF2V
I wrote: "We are entering an age that might someday be referred to as,
say, the Anthrocene. After all, it is a geological age of our own
making. The challenge now is to find a way to act that will make
geologists of the future look upon this age as a remarkable time, a
time in which a species began to take into account the long-term
impact of its actions. The alternative will be to leave a legacy of
irresponsibility and neglect that will manifest itself in the fossil
record as just one more mass extinction -- like the record of bones
and empty footprints left behind by the dinosaurs."
Recently, a slightly different (and probably technically more
appropriate) phrase, the "Anthropocene," has emerged, coined in 2000
by Paul Crutzen, the Nobel-winning atmospheric chemist, and Eugene
Stoermer (Crutzen, P. J., and E. F. Stoermer. 2000. The
"Anthropocene". Global Change Newsletter. 41: 12-13.). It has popped
up in quite a few media accounts and books since then.
I'd love to find out if anyone can track down any references to a
proposed naming of this era along these lines (Anthrocene,
Anthropocene, etc) before 1992. This is my beat for the rest of my
career, and it'd be kind of fun to think I came up with an appropriate
name for it all those years ago.
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Anyone know of pre-'92 cites for "anthro(po)cene" or similar names?
Revkin asks that references be sent to him at <revkin at nytimes.com>.


--Ben Zimmer

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