Comments on: Book review – The Great Acceleration: An Environmental History of the Anthropocene Since 1945

By: Book review – Biocivilisations: A New Look at the Science of Life | The Inquisitive Biologist

Fri, 31 May 2024 11:43:31 +0000

[…] that exalts humans. Instead, I mostly encounter (contained) horror amongst Earth scientists and environmental historians at the scale and speed with which we have come to dominate and damage the planet. Lastly, and […]

LikeLike

By: Book review – The Earth Transformed: An Untold History | The Inquisitive Biologist

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 11:20:29 +0000

[…] history behind him at this point, Frankopan convinces me that terms such as the Anthropocene and The Great Acceleration are appropriate descriptors for the last 70-odd years, even if some naysayers consider them […]

LikeLike

By: Book review – Duel Without End: Mankind’s Battle with Microbes | The Inquisitive Biologist

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 22:40:11 +0000

[…] and the rapidly increasing globalisation after World War II (something other authors refer to as The Great Acceleration). He is more upbeat than Jared Diamond who called agriculture our biggest mistake. Sure, Frøland […]

LikeLike

By: Book review – Jungle: How Tropical Forests Shaped the World – and Us | The Inquisitive Biologist

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 13:22:47 +0000

[…] and agree that the former shows a gradual buildup of impact. Nevertheless, I find the concept of the Great Acceleration centred on the 1950s a convincing argument – to me, it represents a clear break with what came […]

LikeLike

By: Book review – The Contamination of the Earth: A History of Pollutions in the Industrial Age | The Inquisitive Biologist

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 12:54:48 +0000

[…] and, from the 1950s onwards, the double whammy of increased population and affluence during the Great Acceleration, to name but some topics explored […]

LikeLike

By: Book review – What Is Health? Allostasis and the Evolution of Human Design | The Inquisitive Biologist

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 15:43:06 +0000

[…] epidemic of lifestyle diseases that we see now? Or was it the Industrial Revolution and especially the Great Acceleration that pushed us over the edge? In the latter case, it would seem there are more ways than the […]

LikeLike

By: Book review – Dead Zones: The Loss of Oxygen from Rivers, Lakes, Seas, and the Ocean | The Inquisitive Biologist

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 16:32:57 +0000

[…] Kirchman does not explicitly mention it, the 1950s marks a transition period dubbed the Great Acceleration during which our impact on the environment boomed. And the increase in nitrogen and phosphorus […]

LikeLike

By: Book review – Earth Wars: The Battle for Global Resources | The Inquisitive Biologist

Sat, 06 Feb 2021 19:50:14 +0000

[…] on the planet’s finite resources is rising rapidly” (p. 1). Even the concept of the Great Acceleration is not new to him, as evidenced when he quotes Rio Tinto chief executive Tom Albanese, speaking in […]

LikeLike

By: Book review – Burning Up: A Global History of Fossil Fuel Consumption | The Inquisitive Biologist

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 17:00:08 +0000

[…] Burning Up is divided into three main parts. The first four chapters provide context, giving a brief history of fossil fuel use before 1950, how fossil fuel is turned into energy (electricity or refined fuel), and how its use has changed over time in different countries and in different industries from the 1950s onwards. It is these last seven decades that are the focus of this book, as this is a period when population and consumption ballooned (see my review of The Great Acceleration: An Environmental History of the Anthropocene Since 1945). […]

LikeLike

By: Book review – Climate Change and the Health of Nations: Famines, Fevers, and the Fate of Populations | The Inquisitive Biologist

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 16:58:09 +0000

[…] The dumb thing is, even though I am familiar with all the individual pieces McMichael lays out here, the way it is brought together and puts time into perspective still gave me near-vertigo. Clearly, no empire ever looked much ahead or entertained the idea of their demise until it was almost upon them. McMichael highlights how evolution, always aiming to help organisms survive the now, has left us poorly equipped to plan for the longer-term. While the full story of most civilizations has spun itself out over many centuries, our “Great Acceleration” and the growth of the world’s population from 1.5 to 7+ billion people took just decades (see my review of The Great Acceleration: An Environmental History of the Anthropocene Since 1945). […]

LikeLike