Today, there is no place on earth that has not been touched by humans. Man-made change goes far beyond climate change. It also affects soils, oceans, plants, animals, and geochemical cycles. In short, we humans have become a significant geological factor.

We humans have an impact as powerful as that of natural forces such as volcanic eruptions or earthquakes. Our actions today will have repercussions far into the geological future. That is why we talk about a new geological epoch, the “Anthropocene.” According to current research, this new epoch began in the middle of the twentieth century. In this photographic exhibition, ethnologist and geologist Christoph Antweiler from our university's Institute for Oriental and Asian Studies (IOA) shows the causes and consequences of this problematic development.