Humankind as geological super-agent and the Anthropocene predicament

Humans move tremendous amounts of soil and rock. Construction and mining activities account for about 30% of all the material transported, while the remaining 70% is unintentionally moved as by-product of agriculture. Natural processes have lowered continental surfaces by a few tens of meters per million years. In contrast, human activities lower continental surfaces by a few hundred meters per million years. This difference makes Homo sapiens the most important geomorphic agent, who has modified nearly 80% of the ice-free area in both the form and sediment fluxes of the landscapes. The emergence of the new epoch Anthropocene, different from the relatively stable Holocene epoch, makes clear that global population and economic growth are challenging the safe operating space for humanity. In particular, two core boundaries – climate change and biosphere integrity – have been identified. The climate change due to Earth energy imbalance following the carbon cycle perturbation requires a rapid exit from fossil fuel use and the adoption of low-carbon technologies to produce energy. This paradigm shift in energy production and consumption, will require a wide range and high quantities of minerals and materials to meet the rapidly growing need for more wind turbines and solar PVs. The clean energy transition will be significantly mineral intensive. In turn, mining will continue to affect the ecosystems, through fossil fuel use, deforestation, fragmentation of biomes, biodiversity loss, freshwater exploitation and contamination. The Anthropocene predicament cannot be solved the way a problem is solved. The answer is not simply scientific and technological, but also social, cultural and political.Humans move tremendous amounts of soil and rock. Construction and mining activities account for about 30% of all the material transported, while the remaining 70% is unintentionally moved as by-product of agriculture. Natural processes have lowered continental surfaces by a few tens of meters per million years. In contrast, human activities lower continental surfaces by a few hundred meters per million years. This difference makes Homo sapiens the most important geomorphic agent, who has modified nearly 80% of the ice-free area in both the form and sediment fluxes of the landscapes. The emergence of the new epoch Anthropocene, different from the relatively stable Holocene epoch, makes clear that global population and economic growth are challenging the safe operating space for humanity. In particular, two core boundaries – climate change and biosphere integrity – have been identified. The climate change due to Earth energy imbalance following the carbon cycle perturbation requires a rapid exit from fossil fuel use and the adoption of low-carbon technologies to produce energy. This paradigm shift in energy production and consumption, will require a wide range and high quantities of minerals and materials to meet the rapidly growing need for more wind turbines and solar PVs. The clean energy transition will be significantly mineral intensive. In turn, mining will continue to affect the ecosystems, through fossil fuel use, deforestation, fragmentation of biomes, biodiversity loss, freshwater exploitation and contamination. The Anthropocene predicament cannot be solved the way a problem is solved. The answer is not simply scientific and technological, but also social, cultural and political.Humans move tremendous amounts of soil and rock. Construction and mining activities account for about 30% of all the material transported, while the remaining 70% is unintentionally moved as by-product of agriculture. Natural processes have lowered continental surfaces by a few tens of meters per million years. In contrast, human activities lower continental surfaces by a few hundred meters per million years. This difference makes Homo sapiens the most important geomorphic agent, who has modified nearly 80% of the ice-free area in both the form and sediment fluxes of the landscapes. The emergence of the new epoch Anthropocene, different from the relatively stable Holocene epoch, makes clear that global population and economic growth are challenging the safe operating space for humanity. In particular, two core boundaries – climate change and biosphere integrity – have been identified. The climate change due to Earth energy imbalance following the carbon cycle perturbation requires a rapid exit from fossil fuel use and the adoption of low-carbon technologies to produce energy. This paradigm shift in energy production and consumption, will require a wide range and high quantities of minerals and materials to meet the rapidly growing need for more wind turbines and solar PVs. The clean energy transition will be significantly mineral intensive. In turn, mining will continue to affect the ecosystems, through fossil fuel use, deforestation, fragmentation of biomes, biodiversity loss, freshwater exploitation and contamination. The Anthropocene predicament cannot be solved the way a problem is solved. The answer is not simply scientific and technological, but also social, cultural and political.