Great Pacific Garbage Patch: This massive accumulation of plastic waste in the Pacific Ocean, roughly twice the size of Texas, highlights the extensive pollution humans are causing, impacting marine life and ecosystems.
Anthropogenic Rock (Plastiglomerate): Human-made rocks, composed of melted plastic debris mixed with natural materials like sand and shells, are now forming on beaches and becoming part of the geological record.
Urban Heat Islands: Cities, with their concrete, asphalt, and lack of vegetation, create urban heat islands, significantly raising temperatures compared to surrounding rural areas and affecting local climates.
Anthropocene Epoch: Many scientists believe we have entered a new geological epoch called the Anthropocene, marked by significant human impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems, including mass extinctions and altered sediment layers.
Light Pollution: Artificial light from cities and infrastructure is brightening the night sky, disrupting ecosystems, altering animal behavior, and affecting human health by interfering with natural circadian rhythms
Ocean Acidification: Increased carbon dioxide emissions are dissolving into oceans, lowering pH levels, and causing ocean acidification, which threatens marine life, particularly organisms with calcium carbonate shells or skeletons.
Deforestation and Habitat Loss: Large-scale deforestation for agriculture, logging, and urban development is permanently altering landscapes, reducing biodiversity, and contributing to climate change.
Microplastics Everywhere: Tiny plastic particles from products like cosmetics, clothing, and degraded plastic waste are now found in oceans, soil, and even the air, infiltrating ecosystems and entering food chains.