The Anthropocene: Proposal, rejection, consequences, alternatives, and a lesson

ABSTRACT The term “Anthropocene” was proposed in 2000 to denote a new epoch in the Geological Time Scale, characterized by the global human impact on the Earth system. In 2023, the Anthropocene Working Group submitted a formal proposal to the International Commission on Stratigraphy, which rejected it on the grounds that it did not meet the criteria for establishing a new geological epoch. Consequently, the Anthropocene currently lacks a formal definition or geological status. The possibility of submitting a different proposal remains, but defining a globally synchronous chronological boundary—essential for a geological epoch—is challenging due to the heterogeneous and uneven nature of human impacts. Alternatively, the Anthropocene could be considered a geological event or episode, which are time‐transgressive and do not require formalization, although this would necessitate terminological adjustments, since the suffix “‐cene” inherently denotes an epoch in stratigraphic terminology. In the absence of a precise definition, the best approach is either to clarify the concept of the Anthropocene used in each case or to adopt a different name free of stratigraphic implications while a formal geological solution is pursued. Using the term to refer to anything other than a geological epoch is incorrect and may create inconsistencies. Currently, the Anthropocene remains in a definitional void but is widely used in environmental research, activism, and broader professional and popular contexts. The genie is out of the bottle.