GEOL 5900 Seminar Presentations - 4PM-5PM HSH 336 - Pizza Provided
The Anthropocene Debate: What happened to Earth’s latest Epoch?
Ethan Geraci (M.Sc. Environmental Science) 4:00 pm - 4:30 pm
In 2000, atmospheric chemist Paul Crutzen and limnologist Eugene Stoermer proposed the Anthropocene Epoch as a new, human-defined unit of geologic time that would succeed the Holocene. Crutzen and Stoermer originally assigned a late 18th-century start date to the Anthropocene that coincided with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. By 2009, the idea had gained enough traction to merit the creation of a working group within the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (SQS) to assess the Anthropocene Epoch’s stratigraphic existence. In 2015, the Anthropocene Working Group (AWG) officially set a controversial, mid-20th century start date for the Anthropocene based primarily on radioisotopes from nuclear weapons testing. Despite nearly 15 years of research by the AWG, in early 2024, members of the SQS formally voted to reject the Anthropocene Epoch based on a lack of convincing stratigraphic evidence. Although it was rejected as a unit of geologic time, the Anthropocene’s place in academia remains unresolved. This presentation will cover a brief history of the Anthropocene Epoch in peer-reviewed literature, including official statements from the International Union of Geological Sciences (IGUS), and documents published by the AWG. Controversey around the Anthropocene’s start date, the requirements and processes behind defining a new interval of geologic time, key arguments in favor of the Anthropocene, and why it was rejected by the SQS will also be discussed. Further points of discussion include alternatives to the Anthropocene Epoch, reactions to its rejection from outside academia, and the Anthropocene’s future.
Sophie McGuinness 4:30 - 5:00 pm (M.Sc. AG)
Wind Energy: Sustainable Solution or Ecological Dilemma?
Abstract
Wind energy has evolved into one of the most promising and quickly developing renewable energy sources globally. A consequence has been the wind energy industry being promoted as a core strategic pathway for achieving deep decarbonization and reducing future global dependence on fossil fuels.
With heavy governmental and industry focus on sustainability, green energy, and expanding wind power infrastructure to meet climate goals; it’s vital to critically and impartially evaluate wind energy as a sustainable energy source through examination of scientific literature and public discourse, as both a promising sustainable solution and an ecological concern. Several advantages of wind power are commonly discussed, such as significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and rapidly improving technology against wildlife mortality and community disturbances. Other studies counter this, and do not recommend proceeding with further development.
This seminar will discuss this controversy using recent scientific studies, policy reports, and environmental assessments to clarify exactly where wind energy thrives as a sustainable method and where it does not. It will also discuss various recommended approaches and improvement strategies from supporters and critics, such as improved turbine siting, technological innovations, wildlife monitoring, adaptive management, and low-impact approaches to recycling turbine materials.
