Erle Ellis, geography and environmental systems, co-authored a recent article in Science about the beginning of the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene refers to the part of the world’s history where humans significantly impact earth systems. The article reviews differing views on how to ascertain the beginning of the Anthropocene, with some claiming that the epoch started in the 1700s and others favoring a 1945 start date. The authors address the debate and recommend using the term informally in order to identify specific time periods within the larger epoch. “In this way, we could avoid the confinement imposed by a single formal …