摘要
地球系统科学家于2000年提出了人类世的概念,强调由于人类活动改变了地球表层系统的自然运行规律使得地球进入新的地质时代.国际地层委员会自2009年设立人类世工作组推动其成为正式的年代地层单位,但历时15年研究与努力后于2024年否决了该提议.尽管该提议未能获得官方认可,但是当前人类世术语已被广泛采用,其研究范畴横跨理学、技术科学、人文科学及社会科学等多个学科领域.在此背景下,本文首先简要回顾了人类世从提出至被否决的历程和多年来与之相伴的争议,其次阐述了不同学科视角下人类世概念的多元性,并从多学科融合的角度探讨其定义争议及被否决的原因,最后对未来人类世研究进行了展望.本文认为,人类世作为多学科共用的学术术语,目前其内涵因学科视角不同而丰富多元,同时人类世跨学科的争议与探讨不仅促进了多学科融合和地球系统科学发展,也成为了人类活动对地球环境影响的一种思想或理念.未来需要深化自然科学、人文科学和社会科学更深层次的融合,系统整合“人类圈”要素,以构建真正统一的地球系统科学,从而推动对人类世概念的深入理解,并为可持续发展提供理论支撑与实践指导.
The Anthropocene,a pivotal concept proposed by Paul J.Crutzen and Eugene F.Stoermer,E.F.in 2000,delineates the overwhelming anthropogenic impacts on natural environmental conditions and the ensuing the onset of a new geological epoch.The Anthropocene Working Group(AWG)was established in 2009 to examine the evidence and to clarify whether this was sufficiently compelling to formalize the Anthropocene as a new chronostratigraphic unit.Despite conducting systematic investigations for fifteen years(2009–2024)and preparing comprehensive reports,the International Commission on Stratigraphy(ICS)ultimately rejected the proposal to ratify the Anthropocene as a formal geological epoch in 2024.Against this backdrop,this paper first reviews the trajectory of the Anthropocene’s conceptualization,from its proposal to its rejection by the ICS,with the core debate centering on whether to formally establish it as a chronostratigraphic unit.While the designation of a new geological epoch remains a protracted and complex process—leaving the formal status of the Anthropocene unresolved—the period of large-scale human modification of Earth’s surface environment undeniably represents a significant chapter in geological history.Although this proposal was not officially accepted,this terminology has transcended its geological origins to become a cross-disciplinary lens for analyzing human-environment interactions.This paper then examines the multidimensional nature of the concept from various disciplinary perspectives,addressing disputes over its definition and the reasons for its rejection through the lens of multidisciplinary integration.In Earth system science,it signifies a planetary regime shift,validated by models showing humanity’s disruption of Holocene stability.Geology prioritizes the geological signals in the strata,such as globalized technofossils,while ecology and environmental science adopt elastic temporal frameworks,linking the term to biodiversity loss or climate change across millennia.Archaeology and anthropology,emphasizing longterm human-environment interactions,trace its origins to early agricultural or industrial transitions,challenging the AWG’s mid-20th century timeline.In contrast to natural science disciplines,social scientists and humanities scholars critically examine the sociocultural,economic,and political drivers underpinning these human-environment interactions.Notably,criticizing the homogenization of responsibility is central to sociopolitical analyses of the Anthropocene.Therefore,the Anthropocene exhibits pronounced conceptual diversity across disciplines and academic communities.These groups tend to interpret the term through their own disciplinary lenses,endowing it with rich and varied connotations that resist comprehensive synthesis.This pluralism not only perpetuates ongoing debates over its definition but also risks fostering misunderstandings and disciplinary silos,thereby hindering cross-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration.The multidimensional nature of the Anthropocene reflects both the heterogeneity of disciplinary perspectives and the dialectical interplay of academic discourse.Born from interdisciplinary synthesis,the Anthropocene resists singular definitions due to persistent disciplinary boundaries;no single interpretation can fully satisfy the needs of all fields or academic groups.Despite divergent interpretations,there is broad consensus on its central tenet:the profound impact of human activities on Earth’s systems,thus it has become a key concept reflecting the significant impact of human activities on the natural environment.At its core lies the critical examination of contemporary anthropogenic environmental changes,albeit approached through distinct disciplinary perspectives.Looking forward,research should focus on deepening the integration of the natural sciences,humanities,and social sciences,fostering an environment where disciplinary boundaries fade and fully integrating the Anthroposphere—technology,culture,and governance—into Earth system science.By constructing a truly unified Earth system science,researchers can enhance understanding of the Anthropocene and provide both theoretical and practical guidance for achieving sustainable development.
作者
陈杰
陈圣乾
吴铎
陈发虎
Jie Chen;Shengqian Chen;Duo Wu;Fahu Chen(State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System,Environment and Resources,Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100101,China;Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems(Ministry of Education),College of Earth and Environmental Sciences,Lanzhou University,Lanzhou 730000,China)
出处
《科学通报》
北大核心
2025年第24期4188-4200,共13页
Chinese Science Bulletin
基金
国家自然科学基金青年科学基金(42401183)
国家自然科学基金(42588201)资助
国家资助博士后研究人员计划(GZC20241803)。
关键词
人类世
地球系统科学
学科融合
人类圈
可持续发展
人与环境相互作用
Anthropocene
Earth system science
interdisciplinary integration
Anthroposphere
sustainable development,human-environment interaction
