Anthropocene is a geological period where human activity impacts the earth and the environment. Photographers explore Anthropocene for many reasons however the main reason is to spread awareness of how much humans affect the world negatively. In my opinion the most effective photos which catch the viewers eyes to spread awareness are close up images of the issue, for example a close up photograph of the litter on the streets or a close up of factories causing pollution. Anthropocene images can be pleasing and nice looking however they can also be ugly, despite these photos being beautiful they do mainly have a ugly meaning behind them, like this image on the right, viewers may see this photograph at first and think that it is a beautiful landscape however the image is trying to show the factories causing air pollution. This image below gets straight to the point and I think it is the most effective form to spread awareness as it is such a disturbing photo.
The four causes of Anthropocene
Signs of the Anthropocene – Agriculture, Urbanization, Deforestation and pollution have made significant changes on Earth. All four of these activities have created noticeable changes in the planets natural activity for example: increased species extinction rates, changed conditions of the environment and atmosphere and a drastic impact to the land and water systems.
Agriculture – Agriculture is farming but more specifically the Agriculture is the main source of pollution in many different countries and agriculture also plays a part in climate change through green house gas emissions.
Pollution – Pollution is when harmful chemicals or rubbish get into the air, ocean or the land/ ground, pollution can make people sick and it also damages nature drastically. Common sources of pollution are: factories, cars and littering. Anthropocene Photography can help spread awareness of this issue and influence others to reduce pollution and keep our environment safe and clean.
Urbanization – Urbanization is the process of more people moving to cities and towns which cause the town or city to grow bigger. Urbanization normally happens because people are looking for jobs and better living conditions . When cities expand more buildings are built, more roads and more traffic which also causes pollution.
Deforestation – Deforestation is the cutting down of trees in forests to use for other things, like farming or building. Deforestation can lead to: loss of animal habitats, unclean air and drastic changes in the climate. Whilst deforestation can provide good resources and space for people, it also harms the environment and reduces biodiversity.
