Research summary
The Anthropocene era is a proposed geological epoch characterized by the lasting impact of human activities on the Earth’s ecosystems and geology. It is the first period of history in which human impacts will remain visible at the geological scale. As Canada Research Chair in Geospatial Humanities, Dr. Joshua MacFadyen is working on two books that explore rural energy transitions (from biomass or fossil fuels toward more sustainable energy sources) and what these can tell us as Canada enters the Anthropocene.
One book is a history of firewood in Canada and the reasons it persisted as a residential energy system well into the fossil fuel era. The second delves into how humans and other animals transformed landscapes by consuming land-based biomass. Driven by the conviction that storytelling can address some of the greatest problems of our time, MacFadyen and his research team are delving into environmental history to anticipate what may happen as the world enters the Anthropocene era.