Generation Anthropocene

Does climate change mean the end of civilization? Maybe that sounds crazy, but, then again, all the forecasts are deeply sobering. There are reasons for hope, sure, but there are also reasons to believe that humans are unleashing forces beyond anyone's control. If we assume for the sake of argument that we are on a collision course headed for global catastrophe, how do we make peace with that reality? How do we comport ourselves as ethical human beings, and what does it mean to be living through the late stages of this explosive time period? These are just some of the questions that Iraq War veteran Roy Scranton grapples with in his new book, "Learning to Die in the Anthropocene." Drawing on his experiences, Scranton uses the framing of the Anthropocene to capture a deep time perspective and to confront mortality in a way that is rare in public discourse. In this conversation with producer Mike Osborne, Scranton talks about his journey as an intellectual, his decision to go to war, and what it means for a civ

Gordon Hempton has traveled the world for decades, recording the sounds of the Earth. Produced, edited, and mixed by Leslie Chang. Story idea by Jackie Mogensen.

Fire is evolving. The three necessary ingredients for fire - heat, fuel, and oxygen - each appeared at different times in geological history, meaning that fire wasn't always around on Earth's surface. Fire historian Steve Pyne describes the origin and evolution of fire over the past 420 millions years on Earth, including history's true Promethean moment. In a bonus segment, producer Mike Osborne chats with paleoclimate scientist Jud Partin about his new publication exploring the Younger Dryas, the most recent time in Earth's history to experience abrupt climate change. Hear Jud describe what happened as Earth left the last ice age and why he's still optimistic about abrupt climate change today.

Rondonia by Generation Anthropocene

There's no way around it – climate change is a critical part of the Anthropocene. This week, we explore what's at stake with climate change. We talk to Professor Marshall Burke about the connection between climate and conflict, and to Professor Ken Caldeira about a radical solution to global warming: geoengineering.

Seeds of Change by Generation Anthropocene

Most of the changes scientists see on our planet are either visible to the naked eye or directly measurable. But changes to our water systems are among the most difficult to see. In this episode, we travel from the Antarctic ice sheet capturing over 60 percent of all freshwater on Earth, to massive groundwater aquifers that remain particularly elusive, to a freshwater system that acts as the primary economic, cultural, and environmental driver of southern Asia. In short, we go in search of hidden water.

In this compilation, we draw from our 80+ episodes to explore the anthropocene: what it is, how it's defined, and what it means for you. This piece was released in cooperation with SmithsonianMag's Anthropocene hub.

How does geography affect the outcomes of history? We seek an answer from archaeologist Ian Morris, and explore a case study of the Navajo.

Invertebrates. Gutless, spineless– but perhaps under-appreciated invertebrates. We probably don’t spend enough time thinking about that other category of organisms on earth, so on this episode we’re going to spend some time with maybe the most overlooked group of Eukaryotes: Fungi. As it turns out, there are (at least) five MIND BLOWING facts about fungi that we all need to know. We’ll then travel to Southeastern Alaska to study the changing forest community. A wave of climate-driven ecological change is sweeping across the region, and we’ll learn about what this means for forests and the people who live there. Finally on today’s show we leave the invertebrates and debut a new segment that we’re calling Convos with Kau (as in coversation with Kaustubh Thirmulai, PhD candidate in paleoclimate at UT-Austin).

As cities continue to grow, scientists are trying to define the “Urban Equation” – a mathematical expression that defines not just a group of buildings, but a complex network of physical and social interactions. Why? Because our cities control previously elusive aspects of human evolution. To understand our cities is to understand us. In this episode, Luis Bettencourt and Tyler Nordgren discuss various elements of the urban equation. We see how complex networks give rise to creativity; how to break an urban metropolis down into a series of mathematical symbols; and how our cities are dramatically affecting a cultural connection reaching back nearly 400 years. Season 7, Episode 2 – June 4, 2015

After 30 years in high-tech marketing and general management, Anne Sanquini began a second career as a researcher studying how to motivate people to take precautionary action to protect their homes and school against earthquakes. Her work over the past four years led her to Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. She was on the ground during the April 25 earthquake, the very quake she had been preparing for. Season 7, Episode 1 – May 26, 2015

Emma Marris, author of Rambunctious Garden, believes that in the Anthropocene we should widen our repertoire of conservation strategies, rather than relying on traditional conservation methods that “look backwards.” She also and suggests that we can learn to appreciate all forms of nature, big and small. Season 6, Episode 7

Rebroadcast: Biological anthropologist James Holland Jones explains how diseases typically spread from animal to human populations and how that might change as our planet continues to warm. He also discusses how we might prevent future epidemics with limited vaccines by looking to community structure and identifying the key bridge populations. Season 5, Episode 7

Astrobiologist David Grinspoon takes the anthropocene off-planet to our nearest cosmic neighbor Venus and discusses what we learn about climate change here on Earth from Venus’ catastrophic green-house effect. Season 4, Episode 6

Climate researcher and host of "PBS’s Earth: The Operators’ Manual" Richard Alley discusses rapid changes in Earth’s climate through history and how this relates to our impacts today. Does the Earth’s climate have dials, or switches? Season 3, Episode 8

Literary critic and pop culture enthusiast Ursula Heise dissects environmental storytelling and its relation to science… both real and fictional. Season 2, Episode 6