---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Great Transition Network <[email protected]> Date: Tue, Dec 1, 2020 at 11:02 PM Subject: Interrogating the Anthropocene: Truth and Fallacy (GTN Discussions) To: Great Transition Network <[email protected]>

From Paul Raskin [[email protected]]

Dear GTN, The central question for our December discussion is: If we care about a Great Transition, how should we think about the Anthropocene? These big-picture perspectives emerged concurrently over the last two decades in response to the recognition of a state-shift underway in the global social-ecological system. But the two lenses offer quite different accounts of the roots, meaning, and implications of that shift. The point of departure of GT theory is the discontinuity in human history—the arrival of the Planetary Phase of Civilization. By contrast, the Anthropocene focuses on the discontinuity in planetary history—the arrival of a new geological era. Although these may seem like two sides of the same social-ecological coin, their differing attributions of cause and effect—and the differing understandings of human agency that emerge—deeply matter for how we understand and act to shape this pivotal moment. To kick off the discussion, I have prepared an opening essay " Interrogating the Anthropocene: Truth and Fallacy <https://greattransition.org/gti-forum/interrogating-anthropocene-raskin> ” (linked here and pdf attached). There I explore the resonances and dissonances of the Anthropocene idea with the project that concerns us: developing an adequate global praxis for nurturing a GT. In what ways do you agree with my perspective and in what ways not? How can we best embrace the Anthropocene’s ecological truths and challenge its social and political fallacies? What form does this debate take in your arena of scholarship or activism? I very much look forward to the discussion. Please keep your comments succinct (1,200 words tops) and sharply focused on the topic. The internal GTN discussion will go through Friday, January 8, 2021. Over to you, Paul Paul Raskin GTI Director ---------------------------------------------------------- To submit a comment for this GTN discussion, click reply or send it to [email protected]. *Expect a delay between the submission and posting.* You can review the discussion here <https://greattransition.org/240-interrogating-the-anthropocene-truth-and-fallacy#3334>, where you can also submit your comment by replying to any previously posted comment. -- P2P Foundation: http://wiki.p2pfoundation.net <http://p2pfoundation.net> - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net Discuss: http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation Updates: ; http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens Curation of news on p2p/commons developments: https://www.facebook.com/groups/p2p.open/