The 11,700-year-old Holocene epoch¹ is over. We're now living in the Anthropocene epoch.

 

长达11700年的全新世结束啦。我们如今正生活在“人类世”纪元。

 

You don't need to be paying much attention to the world around you to know that humans are having a massive influence on the planet, but our influence is now on the way to being officially recognised in geologic² terms.

 

The 11,700-year-old geological Holocene epoch has ended, scientists say, and we're now living in the Anthropocene: an era defined by humanity's influence on the world around us.

 

In fact, unless you're over the age of 66, you've always been living in it. A 35-strong team of international researchers from the Working Group on the Anthropocene voted 30-3 (two were absent) in favour of the epoch shift, and the starting date is 1950.

 

The date isn't random³: it matches when the first nuclear tests created a new stratum⁴ in the planet's surface.

 

Actually, it won't necessarily be nuclear tests that ended the Holocene. Humanity's impact on the planet is so great that we're left “spoiled for choice” in terms of which particular signal to choose.

 

Plastic pollution, soot⁵ from power plants, concrete and even domestic chicken bones were considered possible contenders.

 

Now that the vote has been done, we'll see a few years of site sampling to figure out the best Global Standard Stratigraphic Age (GSSA) to date the start of the Anthropocene, which will then be presented to the International Commission on Stratigraphy.

 

It will then need ratification⁶ from the Executive Committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences.

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