Since its emergence, human beings have initiated an expansive process that has put the Earth “on fire.” The slow colonization of all the continents, accompanied by early deforestation and the extinction of large mammals, has been followed by the recent very rapid increase in population which, supported by technological development and globalization, has culminated in the Great Acceleration of the last 70 years. Underlying this behavior is the illusory belief in unlimited exponential growth on a planet of finite resources.
The term Anthropocene is an informal expression coined at the beginning of this millennium to refer to the current era in which human beings have become the main agent of transformation of our planet, changing its morphology, biodiversity and climate.
Despite the magnitude and pervasiveness of current transformations, many of the impacts caused by humankind remain “invisible.” The exhibition aims to raise public awareness of these impacts, which are no less severe than the better known ones, through images, films, infographics and interactive exhibits. These tools will stimulate the sensory perception of the public, who will be able to ‘observe’ and ‘feel’ in a few moments phenomena that are difficult to grasp in daily life because of their spatial and temporal scale. We do not see processes that unfold over timescales longer than a generation, such as the melting of polar ice caps, or in remote spaces such as the seafloor or deserts; nor do we grasp impacts that spread at microscopic scales such as nanoplastics in the environment and … in our bodies.
Is it still possible to “change course”? Under what conditions can our global society be saved? What production and consumption behaviors can be unhinged? It is up to us to be able to build a present that is a gift to future generations. The exhibition is the work of a Working Group coordinated by the Communication Unit and the Department of Earth System Sciences and Environmental Technologies of the National Research Council, with the participation of numerous research institutes and groups of the Institution.
Edited by: National Research Council_CNR
Communication Unit: Francesca Messina (Head), Daniela Gaggero and Filippo Sozzi in collaboration with Giorgio Bartoccioni, CNR – ICT Office
Department of Earth System Sciences and Environmental Technologies: Francesco Petracchini (Director)
Institute of Marine Sciences: Mario Sprovieri (Director), Francesco M. Falcieri, Marzia Rovere
Institute for the Study of Anthropogenic Impacts and Sustainability in the Marine Environment: Fedra Francocci
Water Research Institute: Simona Rossetti, Diego Fontaneto, Jessica Amadio, Barbara Casentini, Nicolas Guyennon, Emanuele Romano, Anna Bruna Petrangeli
Institute on Atmospheric Pollution: Marina Cerasa, Giulio Esposito, Alessandra Fino, Antonello Pasini, Adriana Pietrodangelo, Elena Rantica, Paola Romagnoli, Serena Santoro
Terrestrial Ecosystems Research Institute: Davide Manzi, Grazia Masciandaro
National Research Council Project Group
Scientific coordination: Fabio Trincardi, Mario Sprovieri
Communication Unit: Francesca Messina (Head), Daniela Gaggero and Filippo Sozzi
in collaboration with Giorgio Bartoccioni, CNR – ICT Office
Institute of Marine Sciences: Francesco M. Falcieri, Marzia Rovere
Institute for the Study of Anthropogenic Impacts and Sustainability in the Marine Environment: Fedra Francocci
Water Research Institute: Simona Rossetti, Diego Fontaneto, Jessica Amadio, Barbara Casentini, Nicolas Guyennon, Emanuele Romano, Anna Bruna Petrangeli
Institute on Atmospheric Pollution: Francesco Petracchini, Marina Cerasa, Giulio Esposito, Alessandra Fino, Antonello Pasini, Adriana Pietrodangelo, Elena Rantica, Paola Romagnoli, Serena Santoro
Terrestrial Ecosystems Research Institute: Davide Manzi, Grazia Masciandaro
