How We Created the Anthropocene

The Human Planet

'Brilliantly written and genuinely one of the most important books I have ever read' - Ellie Mae O'Hagan 
 
An engrossing exploration of the science, history and politics of the Anthropocene, one of the most important scientific ideas of our time, from two world-renowned experts 
 
Meteorites, methane, mega-volcanoes and now human beings; the old forces of nature that transformed Earth many millions of years ago are joined by another: us. Our actions have driven Earth into a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene. For the first time in our home planet's 4.5-billion year history a single species is dictating Earth's future. 
 
To some the Anthropocene symbolises a future of superlative control of our environment. To others it is the height of hubris, the illusion of our mastery over nature. Whatever your view, just below the surface of this odd-sounding scientific word, the Anthropocene, is a heady mix of science, philosophy, religion and politics linked to our deepest fears and utopian visions. 
 
Tracing our environmental impact through time to reveal when humans began to dominate Earth, scientists Simon Lewis and Mark Maslin masterfully show what the new epoch means for all of us.

A careful explanation of what society is doing to this amazing planet and its people. I was absolutely gripped. Brilliantly written and genuinely one of the most important books I have ever read

A relentless reckoning of how we, as a species, got ourselves into the mess we're in today. . . told with determination and in chiseled, almost literary prose. Indeed, the book's main story - how one species, Homo sapiens, fresh off the trees of Africa, came to rule the Earth so completely that it now stands a good chance of wrecking it - has the force of a Greek tragedy

A highly entertaining examination of the many ways in which humans are now profoundly altering Earth

A clear, intelligent and engaged history of and argument about the Anthropocene. . . If readers want a judicious and engaging marker of where the debate has reached, The Human Planet is it

Profound and thought-provoking, this book does a remarkable job explaining where the current proposal to define a new human-dominated era properly fits

Thomas E. Lovejoy, winner of the Blue Planet Prize

That humans now dominate the 'natural' systems of our planet is the key fact of our time -- this book does a remarkable job of explaining how that came to pass, and why it matters so much

Understanding what it means for humans to have become a geological force reshaping the workings of the Earth is both a deep intellectual challenge and a political necessity. Richly thought through and provocative from its title onwards, The Human Planet rises to that challenge, bringing together Earth history and human history in a new way. Its reassessment of the past will equip its readers to understand the future -- and perhaps to improve it

Oliver Morton, author of The Planet Remade

Today scientists increasingly believe that we have entered a new era, the Anthropocene. In this succinct but sweeping re-evaluation of the human story, Simon Lewis and Mark Maslin show exactly why this abstract-sounding contention should radically affect our views of today and tomorrow. The Human Planet packs more ideas into a small space than I would have thought possible

Charles C. Mann, author of The Wizard and the Prophet

Immensely readable. . .  Simon Lewis and Mark Maslin provide a compelling narrative, stretching from the emergence of hominins from Earth's long history some 3 million years ago, to our position today, as a species with planetary reach

Simon L. Lewis is Professor of Global Change Science at University College London and the University of Leeds. An award-winning scientist, he has been described as having 'one of the world's most influential scientific minds'. He has written for the Guardian and Foreign Policy magazine. 
 
Mark A. Maslin is Professor of Climatology at University College London, a Royal Society Industrial Fellow, and a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Scholar. He is the author of eight books and has written for The Times and New Scientist.

Meteorites, methane, mega-volcanoes and now human beings; the old forces of nature that transformed Earth many millions of years ago are joined by another: us. Our actions have driven Earth into a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene. For the first time in our home planet's 4.5-billion year history a single species is dictating Earth's future. 
 
To some the Anthropocene symbolises a future of superlative control of our environment. To others it is the height of hubris, the illusion of our mastery over nature. Whatever your view, just below the surface of this odd-sounding scientific word, the Anthropocene, is a heady mix of science, philosophy, religion and politics linked to our deepest fears and utopian visions. Tracing our environmental impact through time to reveal when humans began to dominate Earth, Simon Lewis and Mark Maslin show what the new epoch means for the future of humanity, the planet and life itself.

Mark A. Maslin

The facts should speak for themselves, but we hardly ever let them. Each line of Mark Maslin's brilliant and comprehensive accounting offers a mesmerizing glimpse of humanity's appetite and ambition, blindness and brutality and capacity for self-destruction. Perhaps, one hopes, self-renewal, too. For that, we will have to wait and see, but How to Save Our Planet is an eye-opening start

David Wallace-Wells, author of 'The Uninhabitable Earth'

How to Save Our Planet: The Facts is a much needed evidence-based handbook and rallying cry for urgent climate action. Professor Mark Maslin unfolds the magnitude of what humans have done to our precious planet while pointing to how we can solve the climate emergency before it is too late

Jennifer Morgan, Executive Director, Greenpeace International

Climate change facts have never been as understandable or as compelling as in Professor Maslin's book. This is a book to be read, understood and acted upon

Christiana Figueres, former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 2010-2016, author of The Future We Choose

Fascinating, terrifying, but ultimately hopeful, How To Save Our Planet is an important call to arms for the most important battle of all - the fight to secure our future. It injects much-needed clarity and offers practical advice for a problem that for many of us has felt too complex and overwhelming to face, let alone fix. Saving the world is no small thing, but picking up this book's a good start

Paris Lees, Contributing Editor at British Vogue, campaigner

Mark Maslin's book is a fact-bomb, one that blasts through climate denial to clear a path for action on the greatest threat that our planet faces

Roger Highfield, Science Director, Science Museum

A handbook of clearly established, authoritative facts and figures about the terrible toll we as humans have taken of our planet, plus ways in which we can lessen the impact. For laypeople like me, who can see what is happening but haven't always got the precise statistics to hand, it's hugely valuable. I think everyone should read it and absorb its contents: sobering, certainly, and more than a little frightening, but at least we won't be able to claim ignorance as we blunder on our destructive way

John Simpson CBE, BBC World Affairs Editor, Broadcaster, Author & Columnist

There are some books which are important, and there are others which are a necessity. This is certainly the latter. It's powerful, honest and really cleverly written. I am left feeling more informed of the solutions and more empowered to make a difference

Megan McCubbin, Wildlife TV Presenter BBC Springwatch, Zoologist, photographer

Mark Maslin is an environmental pathologist stripping away the superfluous and cutting to the very heart of the problem with a brilliant clarity. This book is a roadmap to recovery for humanity, informing and inspiring in equal measure. It is a book every human needs to have to hand as we tackle this crisis head on

Bella Lack, Conservationist and Environmental Activist

Ideological debates on Global Warming often produce a fog of confusion in public life. This book cuts through that fog and suggests a way forward. The handy list of salutary and indisputable facts that Maslin has assembled here will ensure that How to Save Our Planet will serve as a much-needed guidebook that will help us negotiate our disorienting times

Dipesh Chakrabarty, author of The Climate of History in a Planetary Age (forthcoming March 2021)

From the big bang to the future of our fast-warming world, Mark takes us at breakneck speed through the ways humanity is shaping the planet, and presents with amazing clarity steps everyone can take to make the world a better place

Will McCallum, Head of Oceans at Greenpeace UK and author of How to Give Up Plastic

A book for anyone who needs a crash course on the condition of our planet and what can be done about it, and it offers a perfect balance of climate realism and climate optimism

Jamie Margolin, Climate Justice Activist and Zero Hour Founder & Co-Executive Director

A valuable resource, in that epic struggle, now underway, to head off apocalypse. Mark does not pull punches about the nightmare that we are staring down the barrel of. He is helpfully clear that we cannot now prevent disasters: they are here, and we are going to have to adapt to a rising tide of them. He is right that there is enormous scope for us to act, collectively, to slow down that rising tide - and even perhaps, even now, to create an ecotopia on Earth

Prof. Rupert Read, former Extinction Rebellion spokesperson; author, PARENTS FOR A FUTURE, and co-author, FACING UP TO CLIMATE REALITY

A timely and important book, not only laying out the facts - what we know and how we know it - but suggesting real solutions to the challenges facing us

Professor Alice Roberts, Anatomist, author & broadcaster, Professor of Public Engagement in Science, University of Birmingham

A compelling and crystal clear narrative. By marshalling all the facts, by giving a reference for every single one of them, he has made this slim volume both a sword of truth and the doorway to a much deeper understanding of the facts

Vivienne Parry OBE, Writer and broadcaster

Professor Mark Maslin has produced what is an essential guide to climate solutions and a must for all our communities in order to tackle the minefield of climate action

Mya-Rose Craig, Birdgirl, Founder & President Back2Nature

More than anything this book is about empowerment. A reminder that facts and action matter, and that every one of us can make a difference. Professor Maslin has packed a rucksack for change. Pick it up and let's go save our planet!

Peter C. Kjærgaard, PhD, FLS Museum Director & Professor of Human History

A brilliantly crafted book that addresses one of the huge issues underlying the climate crisis: having the right tools and knowledge to clearly communicate facts, counter misinformation and offer up solutions. So we can effectively spread the word about how to collectively fix our planet

Edzard van der Wyck, CEO & Co-Founder Sheep Inc.

In a strikingly original and accessible format, Mark Maslin's book provides a fascinating collection of the most important facts about the climate crisis and how to tackle it

Prof. Peter Stott, leader of the Climate Monitoring and Attribution team at the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research at the UK Met Office

Don't let anyone tell you climate change is an insoluble problem. It can be solved, and in time to avoid the worst impacts. In this vital book Mark Maslin - punchily and entertainingly - tells us how

Mark Lynas, author of OUR FINAL WARNING: SIX DEGREES OF CLIMATE EMERGENCY

This book is for everyone. Climate change is happening to us all and we all have a responsibility to understand what is going on to be able to make a difference, this book is your quick and accessible guide to understanding the science and what it's going to take for each and every one of us to save our planet

Sara Essa, Founder of Sustainability Hub & Sustainability Club on Clubhouse

A no-nonsense crib sheet on the state of the world and how to help it

If his book falls into the hands of the powerful then it could just save the planet. At the very least, it will provide some thought-provoking facts

Punchy and to the point. No beating around the bush. This brilliant book contains all the information we need to have in our back pocket in order to move forward

Christiana Figueres, author of The Future We Choose

The Facts

How can we save our planet and survive the 21st century? How can you argue with deniers? How can we create positive change in the midst of the climate crisis? Professor Mark Maslin has the key facts that we need to protect our future. 
 
 Global awareness of climate change is growing rapidly. Science has proven that our planet and species are facing a massive environmental crisis. How to Save Our Planet is a call to action, guaranteed to equip everyone with the knowledge needed to make change. 
 
 We need to deal with: climate change, environmental destruction, global poverty and ensure everyone's security. We have the technology. We have the resources. We have the money. We have the scientists, the entrepreneurs and the innovators. We lack the politics and policies to make your vision of a better world happen. 
 
This is your go-to handbook for saving our precious planet. From the history of our planet and species, to the potential of individuals and our power to create a better future, Maslin inspires optimism in these bleak times. It's time to face the facts and save our planet from, and for, ourselves.

Mark A. Maslin

Praise for How To Save Our Planet

The facts should speak for themselves, but we hardly ever let them. Each line of Mark Maslin's brilliant and comprehensive accounting offers a mesmerizing glimpse of humanity's appetite and ambition, blindness an ...

How to Save Our Planet: The Facts is a much needed evidence-based handbook and rallying cry for urgent climate action. Professor Mark Maslin unfolds the magnitude of what humans have done to our precio ...

Climate change facts have never been as understandable or as compelling as in Professor Maslin's book. This is a book to be read, understood and acted upon

The facts should speak for themselves, but we hardly ever let them. Each line of Mark Maslin's brilliant and comprehensive accounting offers a mesmerizing glimpse of humanity's appetite and ambition, blindness an ...

How to Save Our Planet: The Facts is a much needed evidence-based handbook and rallying cry for urgent climate action. Professor Mark Maslin unfolds the magnitude of what humans have done to our precio ...

Climate change facts have never been as understandable or as compelling as in Professor Maslin's book. This is a book to be read, understood and acted upon

The facts should speak for themselves, but we hardly ever let them. Each line of Mark Maslin's brilliant and comprehensive accounting offers a mesmerizing glimpse of humanity's appetite and ambition, blindness an ...

How to Save Our Planet: The Facts is a much needed evidence-based handbook and rallying cry for urgent climate action. Professor Mark Maslin unfolds the magnitude of what humans have done to our precio ...

Climate change facts have never been as understandable or as compelling as in Professor Maslin's book. This is a book to be read, understood and acted upon

Books by Mark A. Maslin

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