If I had to decide whether or not to add the Anthropocene epoch onto the geologic time scale, it would be a very easy choice for me. Humans have changed this world enough to bring the natural cycle out of an upcoming ice age as stated by Elizabeth Kolbert in “Enter the Anthropocene – Age of Man”. If this isn’t a big enough change to warrant a new epoch, then I don’t realize what is. The hardest part about this decision is deciding on whether or not we have hit the starting line of it. Some scientists believe that we hit the starting line some 8,000 years ago with the invention of modern agriculture while others believe that it started in the late 18th century with the discovery that ice cores showed rising and haven’t shown any signs of stopping in the near future. Personally, I would decide that the start of the Anthropocene epoch would have a definitive start in the 18th century because for nearly every epoch, there is a large “scar” to say the least left on the earth and this one happens to be buried in ice.
Kahan states that peoples’ views on climate change are not based in the inability to understand climate science, but rather in their need to fit in with their social peers. This causes a massive roadblock when developing solutions regarding climate change in our political system because if you’re a part of one party, you should believe the same almost like a hive mind. If you disagree with your party, you can be ostracized and shunned for “not being one of us” and labeled as a traitor for believing something different. Dr. Cathy Whitlock worked with the Montanan people and educated them without harsh judgment and brought a sense of community to the problem which most likely contributed to her success. The best way to communicate between people about climate change is to listen to them, and I mean actually listen. Then you would go about finding more about them and how preventing climate change can benefit them and prevent hardships like what Dr. Whitlock did.