A hopeful way of thinking about the planet's future
Taking the long view of Earth, from a cosmic vantage point.
We're at a strange point in the earth's evolution, and our own. Scientists are calling it the "anthropocene," the era in which humanity has altered the major physical systems of the planet.
As astrobiologist David Grinspoon says, "Never before has a geological force been aware of its own existence."
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He writes in his new book 'The Earth in Human Hands,' that the knowledge and acceptance of this role also puts us in the unique situation of having a certain amount of control over the future of the planet.
As an astrobiologist, Grinspoon believes that, in order to understand our planet-altering role, we need to expand our focus beyond our own planet.