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For more than a decade, scientists have argued that human activity has pushed the planet into a new geological era: the Anthropocene. But how can we quantify our impact on the Earth? Are we as strong as a hurricane or an asteroid strike? As Owen Gaffney and Will Steffen write, when you do the sums, humanity eclipses every other force affecting the planet.
Read this and the best of our coverage from the week: from why tourists behave so badly, to remarkable stories of the inhabitants of Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh.
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Owen Gaffney, Stockholm University; Will Steffen, Australian National University
Scientific and technological innovations and economic policies promoting growth at all costs have created a consumption and production vortex on a collision course with the Earth system.
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Arts + Culture
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Denis Tolkach, Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Christine Yinghuan Zeng, Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Stephen Pratt, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
The case of tourist behaviour is especially interesting for debates about ethical decision-making.
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Ethan Hee-Seok Shin, Yonsei University
Japan claims that the placement of “comfort girl” statues outside the Japanese legations in South Korea violates international law, but state practice and jurisprudence suggests otherwise.
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Farzana Kazi Fahmida, University Utara Malaysia
Rohingya songs and drawings are a form of resistance against the persecutions they face in Myanmar and in Bangladesh.
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Science + Technology
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Joshua Tan, Universidad Católica de Chile
Over the last 20 years, advances in the field of exoplanet discovery have excited the imaginations of scientists and enthusiasts alike. But we're in position to know yet whether a planet is habitable.
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Politics + Society
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Filippo Furri, Université de Montréal
Alternative models to host asylum seekers have proved their efficiency. Venice has been a sanctuary city for years and with the right policies, it could be reproduced.
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Business + Economy
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Abdeslam Marfouk, Université de Liège
If educated women are discriminated against in their home country, they will take their skills elsewhere.
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Environment + Energy
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Alice Catherine Hughes, Chinese Academy of Sciences
If we want any future for wild populations of the numerous species traded for pets, exhibits and use in medicines, drastic action is needed to control their international and domestic trade.
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