On the Possibilities of a Charming Anthropocene

Abstract

The Anthropocene—the geological epoch in which human activities are signaled in Earth's geological records—often appears as an age to be met with grim resignation. Anxiety-driven narratives about this era can translate into very material landscapes of surveillance, tightened borders, farmland acquisitions, and so on, landscapes where speculation shapes lived realities. This article proposes that instead of joining the chorus of dark predictions, or rejecting the flawed concept altogether, geographers are well positioned to experiment with articulating a different Anthropocene. Fragments of a beautiful Anthropocene are already under design: agroecology, green roofs and buildings, distributed renewable energy systems. Yet to weave together a vision compelling enough to provoke cultural and political change, other elements are necessary: a reawakened sense of wonder, an ethic of care, and aesthetic and cultural production around these. This article proposes enchantment as a concept to evoke these elements and discusses the merits and dangers of imagining an enchanted Anthropocene. It looks at emergent alternative framings for thinking about a human-shaped earth and examples of related practices—rewilding, biophilic cities, planetary gardening, smart landscapes—which could make for a more habitable and welcoming epoch.