The term Anthropocene is used by some scientists to describe the most recent period in the Earth's history, starting in the 18th century where the activities of the human race first began to have a significant global effect on the Earth's climate and ecosystems. The term was coined by the Nobel Prize winning scientist Paul Crutzen, who regards the influence of mankind on the Earth in recent centuries as so significant as to constiture a new geological era.
References:
- Crutzen, P. J., and E. F. Stoermer. 2000. The "Anthropocene". Global Change Newsletter. 41: 12-13.
