Paul J. Crutzen
He won the Nobel Prize for his work on the formation and decomposition of ozone.
Most quoted
"Considering these and many other major and still growing impacts of human activities on Earth and atmosphere, and at all, including global, scales, it seems to me more than appropriate to emphasize the central role of mankind in geology and ecology by proposing to use the term 'Anthropocene' for the current geological epoch."
— from The 'Anthropocene', 2000
"For the past three centuries, the effects of humans on the global environment have escalated. Because of these, it seems to me that it is more than appropriate to emphasize the central role of mankind in geology and ecology by proposing to use the term 'Anthropocene' for the current geological epoch."
— from IGBP Newsletter, 2000
"The Anthropocene could be said to have started in the latter part of the eighteenth century, when analyses of air trapped in polar ice showed the beginning of growing global concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane."
— from Geology of Mankind, 2002
All quotes by Paul J. Crutzen (422)
Humanity has become a geological agent.
The stability of the Holocene is gone. We are now in a period of great instability.
We are the first species to have a conscious global impact.
The Anthropocene is not just about climate; it's about biodiversity loss, nitrogen cycles, land use change—the whole system.
Our technological power has outpaced our wisdom to use it responsibly.
The concept of the Anthropocene is a call to action.
We need a new ethic for the Anthropocene.
The Montreal Protocol is a success story that gives us hope for tackling climate change.
We are altering the planet on a scale comparable to some of the great forces of nature.
The Anthropocene is a time of great risk, but also of great opportunity.
We must act as stewards of the Earth System.
The future is not predetermined. We can still choose a different path.
Ignoring the signs of the Anthropocene is a recipe for disaster.
We have the knowledge. What we need is the will to act.
The Earth System is resilient, but it has tipping points we must avoid.
We are writing Earth's history with our actions.
The Anthropocene makes us all geologists.
Our legacy will be written in the rocks, the ice, and the atmosphere.
The challenge of the Anthropocene is to ensure a good future for both humanity and the planet.
Science alone cannot solve the problems of the Anthropocene; we need social and political innovation.
Contemporaries of Paul J. Crutzen
Other Chemistrys born within 50 years of Paul J. Crutzen (1933–2021).