"The Age of Humans: Embracing the Anthropocene Era"

The proposal to mark the Anthropocene as an epoch in the geologic time scale starting in 1952 was rejected by the Subcommission on Quarternary Stratigraphy, with 12 of 18 members voting no. The rejection does not diminish the overwhelming evidence of human impact on the planet, but rather reflects concerns that the proposed start date was too recent and narrow to encompass the deeper evidence of human-caused planetary change. Despite the rejection, discussions about the Anthropocene continue, and a scientific definition of the Anthropocene as an ongoing transformative event remains widely available.