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Paul J. Crutzen and the Anthropocene: A New Epoch in Earth’s History

  • Presents a comprehensive collection of articles on the Anthropocene
  • Collects unique primary research literature
  • Provides reflections on the Anthropocene and its implications

Part of the book series: The Anthropocene: Politik—Economics—Society—Science (APESS, volume 1)

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Table of contents (22 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xlv
  2. Texts by Paul J. Crutzen and his Close Colleagues and Co-authors on the Anthropocene

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 17-17
    2. The ‘Anthropocene’ (2000)

      • Paul J. Crutzen, Eugene F. Stoermer
      Pages 19-21
    3. Geology of Mankind (2002)

      • Paul J. Crutzen
      Pages 23-25
    4. The ‘Anthropocene’ (2002)

      • Paul J. Crutzen
      Pages 27-32
    5. How Long Have We Been in the Anthropocene Era? (2003)

      • Paul J. Crutzen, Will Steffen
      Pages 39-45
    6. Earth System Dynamics in the Anthropocene (2004)

      • Will Steffen, Meinrat O. Andreae, Peter M. Cox, Paul J. Crutzen, Ulrich Cubasch, Hermann Held et al.
      Pages 75-101
    7. The Anthropocene: Are Humans Now Overwhelming the Great Forces of Nature? (2007)

      • Will P. Steffen, Paul J. Crutzen, John R. McNeill
      Pages 103-121
    8. Fate of Mountain Glaciers in the Anthropocene (2011)

      • Ajai, Lennart Bengtsson, David Breashears, Paul J. Crutzen, Sandro Fuzzi, Wilfried Haeberli et al.
      Pages 129-140
    9. Living in the Anthropocene: Toward a New Global Ethos (2011)

      • Paul J. Crutzen, C. Schwägerl
      Pages 141-144
    10. The Anthropocene: From Global Change to Planetary Stewardship (2011)

      • Will Steffen, Åsa Persson, Lisa Deutsch, Jan Zalasiewicz, Mark Williams, Katherine Richardson et al.
      Pages 145-174
    11. Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate in the Anthropocene (2012)

      • Klaus Lorenz, Paul J. Crutzen, Rattan Lal, Klaus Töpfer
      Pages 175-191
    12. The Palaeoanthropocene – The Beginnings of Anthropogenic Environmental Change (2013)

      • Stephen F. Foley, Detlef Gronenborn, Meinrat O. Andrea, Joachim W. Kadereit, Jan Esper, Denis Scholz et al.
      Pages 203-216
    13. Stratigraphic and Earth System Approaches to Defining the Anthropocene (2016)

      • Will Steffen, Reinhold Leinfelder, Jan Zalasiewicz, Colin N. Waters, Mark Williams, Colin Summerhayes et al.
      Pages 217-251

About this book

This book outlines the development and perspectives of the Anthropocene concept by Paul J. Crutzen and his colleagues from its inception to its implications for the sciences, humanities, society and politics.

The main text consists primarily of articles from peer-reviewed scientific journals and other scholarly sources. It comprises selected articles on the Anthropocene published by Paul J. Crutzen and a selection of related articles, mostly but not exclusively by colleagues with whom he collaborated closely.


• In the year 2000 Nobel Laureate Paul J. Crutzen proposed the Anthropocene concept as a new epoch in Earth’s history 
• Comprehensive collection of articles on the Anthropocene by Paul J. Crutzen and his colleagues
• Unique primary research literature and Crutzen’s comprehensive bibliography
• Paul Crutzen’s scientific investigations into human influences on atmospheric chemistry and physics, the climate and the Earth system, leading to the conception of the Anthropocene
• Reflections on the Anthropocene and its implications
• Bibliometric review of the spread of the use of the Anthropocene concept in the Natural and Social Sciences, Humanities and Law


Editors and Affiliations

  • Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (MPIC), Mainz, Germany

    Susanne Benner, Ulrich Pöschl, Jos Lelieveld

  • Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin, Germany

    Gregor Lax

  • (deceased), Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (MPIC), Mainz, Germany

    Paul J. Crutzen

  • Free University of Berlin (Ret.), Hans Günter Brauch Foundation on Peace and Ecology in the Anthropocene (HGBS), Peace Research and European Security Studies (AFES-PRESS), Mosbach, Germany

    Hans Günter Brauch

About the editors

Dr. Susanne Benner is head of communications at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz since 2011. She studied biology at the RWTH Aachen University in Germany and obtained a Ph.D. time in organic chemistry at the Swiss Federal University Zurich (ETHZ).

Dr. Gregor Lax is a research scholar at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin. With a PhD from University of Bielefeld (2014), he worked at the Max-Planck-Institute for Chemistry and for the German Council for Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat).


Prof. Dr. Paul J. Crutzen (†) was a director at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995 for his work on ozone depletion. He addressed the Nuclear Winter in the 1980s and coined the Anthropocene concept in 2000.


Prof. Dr. Ulrich Pöschl is director of the Multiphase Chemistry Department at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and professor at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz. He studied chemistry at the TU of Graz, Austria, and he worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, and at the TU of Munich.


Prof. Dr. Jos Lelieveld studied natural sciences Leiden Univ. (1984), obtained a PhD in Physics and Astronomy Utrecht Univ. (1990), was Prof. of Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry Univ. of Wageningen and Utrecht (1993-2000). Since 2000 he is Director and Scientific Member at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and Professor in Atmospheric Physics, University of Mainz.


PD Dr. Hans Günter Brauch taught as an Adj. Prof. international relations at the Free University of Berlin, he has been chairman of Peace Research and European Security Studies (AFES-PRESS) since 1987 and of the board of the HGB Foundation on Peace and ecology in the Anthropocene (HGBS) since 2000 and editor of five book series with SpringerNature.     


Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 44.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access