The world faces an environmental crisis unprecedented in human history. Carbon dioxide levels have reached heights not seen for three million years, and the greatest mass extinction since the time of the dinosaurs appears to be underway. Such far-reaching changes suggest something remarkable: the beginning of a new geological epoch. It has been called the Anthropocene. The Birth of the Anthropocene shows how this epochal transformation puts the deep history of the planet at the heart of contemporary environmental politics. By opening a window onto geological time, the idea of the Anthropocene changes our understanding of present-day environmental destruction and injustice. Linking new developments in earth science to the insights of world historians, Jeremy Davies shows that as the Anthropocene epoch begins, politics and geology have become inextricably entwined.

About the Author
Jeremy Davies teaches in the School of English at the University of Leeds.

Reviews
"An excellent forthcoming book." -- Robert Macfarlane The Guardian "I can't recall another book that positions the present global crisis in Earth's deep history so well, in a form that can be readily understood by non-specialists. Every ecosocialist should read it." -- Ian Angus Climate and Capitalism "The first book you would want to read to find out the origins, philosophies, and debate surrounding the 'Anthropocene'... A fascinating tour of natural history." Capitalism Nature Socialism "Perhaps the best guide so far to the different senses and timeframes attached to the term [Anthropocene]." London Review of Books



Book Information
ISBN 9780520289970
Author Jeremy Davies
Format Hardback
Page Count 248
Imprint University of California Press
Publisher University of California Press
Weight(grams) 408g
Dimensions(mm) 203mm * 152mm * 25mm