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Challenging Climate
Asking tough questions about the science, technology, and politics of climate change, two climate researchers challenge leading experts on one of the defining issues of our age. Every two weeks, they explore how we can fight global warming by cutting greenhouse gas emissions, carbon removal, adaptation and solar geoengineering. Dr. Jesse Reynolds and Dr. Pete Irvine consider the roles of computer models and persuasive narratives, economics and public policy, and renewable energy and national security in the climate debate, and look beyond to issues such as biotechnology and international development.
Questions or comments? Email info@challengingclimate.org or tweet @ChalClimate
See more information on Jesse Reynolds and Pete Irvine.
music by Peter Danilchuk @clambgramb (IG/Twitter).
Challenging Climate
12. Mark Maslin on Human Evolution and the Anthropocene
Mark Maslin is a professor of Earth System Science at University College London and a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit scholar. Mark is a leading scientist in past global and regional climatic change and its links to human evolution, and has written dozens of popular science articles and popular books, including The Human Planet: How We Created the Anthropocene (with Simon Lewis) – just out in paperback.
In this episode, we spoke with Mark about the link between human evolution and climate change, and the debate surrounding the Anthropocene epoch. In discussing human evolution, we touch on topics such as the development of bipedalism and human intelligence. Mark explains the extent of human impact on the Earth, hence creating the Anthropocene. We also cover the political debate on defining the Anthropocene and the evolution of international and national politics surrounding climate change.
Links:
- Mark’s profile, including his recent publications
- The paper by Mark Maslin and Simon Lewis on defining the Anthropocene
- Another paper by Mark Maslin and Simon Lewis on how the Anthropocene began with species exchange
- That Lancet study
- The Anthropocene working group
