Conclusion—We Are the Anthropocene

From a long-term geological perspective, humans have recently become a significant force of nature. This is the core statement of the Anthropocene debate. We are now confronted with the fact that tomorrow is today. What Martin Luther King said in 1967 in relation to the Vietnam War applies to humanity today. The central questions of this book were these: What is the Anthropocene? What is the most appropriate name for it? When did it historically begin? And what does it mean for the future? These questions could be summed up in a paradoxically sounding, but precise way (Folkers 2020: 592): What is the Anthropocene, and what will it have been?