According to the Aspen Global Change Institute, the anthroposphere encompasses the total human presence throughout the Earth system, including our culture, technology, built environment, and associated activities.

“God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:28)

Is creating the “Anthroposphere” our destiny? We will discuss the complex topic of human impact on the environment. Besides the scientific analysis of environmental changes, we will explore how politics and religion influence the course of action in attempting to solve environmental problems. In dictatorial regimes the human impact on the biosphere can be ignored (e.g., in the former East Germany it was a crime to gather environmental data). In Western democracies we hear many different voices, ranging from complete denial of environmental problems to scaremongers.

The purpose of this course is to shed light on the development of the anthroposphere and to gain an understanding of the interaction between science and politics. Finally, we will discuss possible solutions to the crucial problem areas: human population growth, water and food supply, energy generation and consumption, and resulting changes in climate. The course will utilize online information.