Twenty actions for a “good Anthropocene”—perspectives from early-career conservation professionals

Abstract

Humans are now recognized as the main drivers of environmental change, leaving the future of our planet dependent on human action or inaction. Although the outlook of our planet is often depicted in a “doom and gloom” manner due to recent troubling environmental trends, we suggest that a “good Anthropocene” (in which human quality of life may be maintained or improved without cost to the environment) is attainable if we engage in adaptive, multi-disciplinary actions capable of addressing the socio-ecological issues of today and tomorrow. Early-career conservation scientists and practitioners have an unmatched understanding of novel technologies and social connectivity and, as those left with the ever-growing responsibility to be the problem solvers of the attributed increasing environmental consequences of living in the Anthropocene, their perspectives on steps towards a good Anthropocene are valuable. Here we present a list of 20 actions derived by early-career conservation scientists and practitioners for conservationists to help achieve a good Anthropocene that utilize the social connectivity and technology of today. Central to these actions are the notions that multi-, inter-, and trans-disciplinary collaboratives that embrace diverse world views need to be integrated into decision-making processes; training and outreach platforms need to communicate both environmental challenges and solutions broadly; and conservation successes need to be acknowledged and disseminated in a forward-looking, adaptive capacity. Together the 20 actions identified here reinforce the underlying paradigm shift that must accompany living in the Anthropocene, given that biodiversity and healthy ecosystems are requisite for sustained human life. By sharing this list of actions, we look to promote positive socio-environmental changes towards the collective goal of achieving a good Anthropocene.

Goals, challenges, and next steps in transdisciplinary fisheries research: perspectives and experiences from early-career researchers

“… Many of us expressed a perceived lack of agency in directing current and future priorities in fisheries research. We pointed out how it is common for ECR voices to be ignored or marginalized and noted that we are often told that we must be a ‘generation of problem solvers’ (e.g., Jeanson et al 2020 ), without being given the platform, the voice, or the funding to achieve this expectation. The general feeling in the group was that unless given a more prominent voice, we are collectively limited in what can be achieved because we are adhering to established ideas that are failing ( Barrier 1 ).…”

Ten considerations for conservation policy makers for the post-COVID-19 transition

“…Major changes in human behaviour spanning travel patterns, consumerism, and energy use, among others, have influenced local and global biodiversity (e.g., Gillinghan et al, 2020;Rondeau et al, 2020;Zambrano-Monserrate et al, 2020). These changes define the Anthropocene, a period characterized by unprecedented loss of biodiversity and global environmental change (Steffen et al, 2007), for which there is desperate need for action to stop this loss and restore ecosystems (Jeanson et al, 2020). The COVID-19 lockdown restrictions have created an unprecedented experiment termed the "Anthropause" where nearly half of humans on the planet have been confined to their homes at various stages of the pandemic, resulting in major reductions in human disturbance on biodiversity (Bates et al, 2020;Rutz et al, 2020).…”

One hundred research questions in conservation physiology for generating actionable evidence to inform conservation policy and practice

“…To address the questions presented here will require the coordinated efforts of established researchers and conservation practitioners; however, these questions are presented in recognition that many of the conservation problems of today and tomorrow will be solved by the next generation of scientists ( Jeanson et al, 2020 ). We are convinced that the questions shared here will inspire future scientists and provide them with meaningful ways that they can contribute to the development of conservation physiology and, more importantly, to enhance its impact.…”