WEISSENBERGER: Political geology rocks faith in science

The idea that humanity's effect upon the planet is so profound that the geological record should be expanded to include a new epoch — the Anthropocene — has found favour with a few progressive scientists. Not so fast, says Calgary geologist John Weissenberger. If an event the size of the Chicxulub asteroid impact is now represented by 2 cm in the stratigraphic record, there will be very little left of us. Here, a NASA illustrator imagines the moment of impact near the Yucatan Peninsula, 
66 million years ago. It is believed to have caused the mass extinction of non-avian dinosaurs and many other species on Earth.The impact spewed hundreds of billions of tons of sulphur into the atmosphere, producing a worldwide blackout and freezing temperatures which persisted for at least a decade
The idea that humanity's effect upon the planet is so profound that the geological record should be expanded to include a new epoch — the Anthropocene — has found favour with a few progressive scientists. Not so fast, says Calgary geologist John Weissenberger. If an event the size of the Chicxulub asteroid impact is now represented by 2 cm in the stratigraphic record, there will be very little left of us. Here, a NASA illustrator imagines the moment of impact near the Yucatan Peninsula, 66 million years ago. It is believed to have caused the mass extinction of non-avian dinosaurs and many other species on Earth.The impact spewed hundreds of billions of tons of sulphur into the atmosphere, producing a worldwide blackout and freezing temperatures which persisted for at least a decadeDonald E. Davis Courtesy NASA
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