Did anthropogeology anticipate the idea of the Anthropocene?
- Author(s)
- Hermann Häusler
- Abstract
The term anthropogeology was coined in 1959 by the Austrian geologist Heinrich Häusler. It was taken up by the Swiss geologist Heinrich Jäckli in 1972, and independently introduced again by the German geologist Rudolf Hohl in 1974. Their concept aimed at mitigating humankind’s geotechnical and ecological impact in the dimension of endogenic and exogenic geologic processes. In that context anthropogeology was defined as the scientific discipline of applied geology integrating sectors of geosciences, geography, juridical, political and economic sciences as well as sectors of engineering sciences. In 1979 the German geologist Werner Kasig newly defined anthropogeology as human dependency on geologic conditions, in particular focusing on building stone, aggregates, groundwater and mineral resources. The severe problems of environmental pollution since the 1980s and the political relevance of environmental protection led to the initiation of the discipline ‘environmental geosciences’, which – in contrast to anthropogeology – was and is taught at universities worldwide.
- Organisation(s)
- Journal
- The Anthropocene Review
- Volume
- 5
- Pages
- 69-86
- No. of pages
- 18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1177/2053019617742169
- Publication date
- 11-2017
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105906 Environmental geosciences
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geology, Global and Planetary Change, Ecology
- Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/4154ec00-1b31-4c9f-9496-29af7be29683