As scientists assess mounting evidence of a new geologic epoch where human activities will largely control the evolution of our Earth’s environment, they have coined this epoch, “The Anthropocene.” Don’t look now, but you’re living in it.   What we don’t know is whether our influence on climate during the Anthropocene will be a short-term, relatively minor change from the current climate, or an extreme deviation that lasts for thousands of years.  (Related, from National Geographic Channel: How the Earth Changed History, “New Earth Epoch Has Begun, Scientists Say”)

The conundrum we face is alarming.  Some take heart in the latest estimates from The Energy Information Administration of the Department of Energy, showing that the growth in