The moment when mankind began to irreversibly change the earth | DW News

Modern humans have walked the earth for about 300 Thousand years - and especially in the past 6.000 years we have left our mark. Now, a group of scientists claims to have identified the place which best illustrates the destabilizing affect humans have had on our planet. And they say research at the site allows them to pinpoint the nineteen-fifties as the time when a new geological time period began - the Anthropocene.

The Anthropocene Working Group investigated layers of sediment at the bottom of Crawford Lake in Canada. They say those sediments show evidence of a sudden and irreversible shift in conditions on Earth. Evidence of human involvement included the presence of fly ash from the combustion of fossil fuels, acid rain and radioactive fallout from nuclear bomb tests.
We can now speak to Francine McCarthy, she's a micro-paleontologist and member of the Anthropocene Working Group. We ask her: What did you find in Crawford Lake that allowed you to pinpoint the beginning of the Anthropocene?

#crawford #anthropocene #radioactive

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/user/deutschewelleenglish?sub_confirmation=1

For more news go to: http://www.dw.com/en/
Follow DW on social media:
►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deutschewellenews/
►Twitter: https://twitter.com/dwnews
►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwnews
►Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/dwnews_hangout
Für Videos in deutscher Sprache besuchen Sie: https://www.youtube.com/dwdeutsch