A IS FOR ANTHROPOCENE

“A is for Bad Apple” – Enter a New Age

Writer @bearcourt
Produced @holdingcourtinc
Editor @jthnomad
Publication @blackchalkmagazine

Editor’s Note –

If you aren’t living with your head in the sand (which I don’t blame you, if you are. It just might not be the best life choice right now all things considered.) you are constantly seeing news coverage of the protests by concerned individuals from around the world on the topic of ‘Climate Change’.

I would say that ‘Climate Change‘ isn’t the right wording… It is definitely a time of Climate Crisis. We are a species and as a global civilization need to make some tough, yet necessary choices that will effect every aspect of our lives. We need to this if we are going to make the world a better place for ourselves and for the future of all life. Sure it won’t be fun at first, but if there is one thing that humanity has proven it can do time and time again, it is to adapt to change. And change we must…

On the topic of Climate Change, Black Chalk is starting a new weekly section called “A to Z” that will literally cover everything to do with the climate crisis and what you as an individual can do to help the situation.

It is our pleasure to welcome you to the Anthropocene – The Age of MAN!

“Anthropocene”—from anthropo, for “man,” and cene, for “new”—because human-kind has caused mass extinctions of plant and animal species, polluted the oceans and altered the atmosphere, among other lasting impacts.” – Smithsonian Mag

“The world is falling apart. The world is falling apart.” My best friend and I chanted into the voice mailbox of prominent politician and Clinton White House advisor Nancy Soderberg over dinner 10 years ago. Mrs. Soderberg, my professor of Global Politics, was the unlucky name drawn during a game of phone roulette; a game of risk where one player invents an awkward phrase to say, while the other flicks through their contact list to pause on whatever name is chosen at the word “Stop.”

We dialed my esteemed professor, with extreme discomfort on my part, only to get her mailbox, thankfully. I’ve always wondered if she ever listened to our little chant, if she understood what we said.

The then college student studying environmental sciences little knew how appropriate that phone call would be in today’s global climate, where the call to action is almost always, “Call your representative.”

The “End of the World” theme has played out over broadcast news and onto our devices with such regularity that cannot be ignored. While society at large may not agree, scientists argue that we have entered into a phase of existence, a new era that defines our impact on the species of the world and the environment. Enter, Anthropocene.

The Facts:

Brought to you by the WWF Report 2018: a publication that reports the state of the planet in terms of biodiversity, ecosystems, the demand of natural resources and its impact on the environment and wildlife.

* 20% of the Amazon has disappeared in just 50 years

* On a global scale, the area of minimally disturbed forests declined by 92 million hectares between 2000 and 2013

* Of all species that have gone extinct since 1500 AD, 75% were harmed by over exploitation or agriculture

* Ocean acidification may be occurring at a rate not seen in at least 300 million years. The Earth is estimated to have lost 50% of its shallow water corals in the past 30 years

* Humans are responsible for releasing 100 billion tonnes of carbon into the Earth’s system every 10 years. In April 2018, levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached an average of 410 parts per million (ppm) across the entire month–the highest level in at least 800,000 years

* Only 25% of land on Earth is substantively free of the impacts of human activities. This is projected to decline to just 10% by 2050.

Mankind’s time on Earth, The Anthropocene, has seen more biological and climate devastation than previously imagined. Our footprint lands heavier than ever with modern industrialized agriculture, farming, commerce and transportation. It’s safe to say that those of us who pay attention carry a little sense of impending doom about us. Years have already passed since the scientific community announced that we are past the point of no return.

So why even bother?

When my friends and I sit down for a nice glass of rose at the wine bar down the street in Hollywood, we chat about the future: the type of life we would like to have and who we want in it. Every so often, someone will say, “I don’t want to bring a kid into this world because they won’t have what I had. Penguins, the beach…etc. It’s going to shit.”

And I understand the trepidation, aside from molding a child into a considerate person, we now have to deal with bomb cyclones, polar vortex’s and record-breaking hurricanes. Still, I consider the legacy I leave behind to be of the most importance, no matter if the next generation is mine or someone else’s. The very heart of the artist is one that looks to the future with hope, optimism and creative participation. I’d like to say that I did my part to try to make it better, make it more sustainable.

I look at every aspect of the way I live and ask “Can I do this better?” Can I weave sustainability into every aspect of consumerism, so that what I buy to thrive doesn’t hurt the environment? Even better, can I curb my urge to consume in the first place? Consumerism as we see it today is a product of status anxiety, where we attach our identity to the things we own, believing the more we have, the more we have “made it” in society. Simply put, status anxiety is a product of pride.

It is safe to say the harmful effects of The Anthropocene on the climate and biodiversity are tied to human ego that cuts corners in order to obtain comfort cheaply and by any means necessary. We need to come to the table and discuss our obsession with stuff, and how we can knock if from the center of our cultural identity.

Lucky for me, I have chosen my contribution already. As an aesthetic person, I identify with beautiful things. My sense of style has become an amazing opportunity to participate in the reformation of the apparel industry. Marked as the 3rd most polluting industry in the world, there is a lot of work to be done here.

According to Nicole Rycroft, creator of Canopy, a research group that aims to protect the world’s ancient forests, “Your shirts and skirts are made from the great forests of the world.” The reality is that 30% of rayon and viscose originates in the endangered forests. 120 million trees are felled every year to produce clothing. And we all pay the price, from endangered habitats for animals to the world’s poorest communities who live there.

If I were to call Nancy Soderberg today and say “The world is falling apart. The world is falling apart,” she would ask me, “So what are you doing about it?”

In return, I ask you: “How will you be a part of the future of fashion?“

And so begins the study of Environmental Style, E.S.NOW, and the part you play in restoring sustainability in manufacturing, consumerism, and recycling in the age of man.