Anthropocence

The term Anthropocence 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. The term was coined in 2000 by the Noble Prize winning scientist Paul Crutzen, who regards the influence of mankind on the Earth in the recent centuries as so significant as to constitute a new geological era.