General Geology The Holocene Epoch has covered the last 11,000 years in Earth's history. This is a relatively short period of time on the geologic scale. The Holocene Epoch has been generally warm after the last great ice age of the Pleistocene. Continents were already in their present positions at the beginning of this epoch.   Animal and Plant Life Flora and fauna have also remained unchanged biologically during this epoch. Humans have sprung to be the leaders in intelligence and are of conquering nature. Also known as the Antropogene, the Holocene has certainly been the "age of humans" (anthro-pogene, human-age). Even though Sapiens Sapiens came before this epoch, the Holocene has seen all of history and every civilization.   Special Section: Human's Effect on Earth Humans are separated from the rest of the animal kingdom in that we can change nature. During the Holocene, a majority of the climate changes have been due to human activity. Effects that we have on the earth include Global warming. This is caused by the Greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is caused by pumping dangerous chemicals into the air, causing sunlight to come in, reflect, and magnify, magnify, magnify.... and it has many disastrous consequences. They are: The melting of Polar ice caps. This causes the oceans to rise, flooding coast lands and causing people to cram into a smaller land area. The melting also causes more storms to occur. This happens because of more evaporation and more precipitation. Global warming leads to dryer summers and milder winters. That would mean having less food for more cramped people, extinction of species, summer "heat wave deaths," a huge pole-ward migration of species, and more. Humans also change the environment in other ways. They are: Pollution Habitat Destruction. 100 acres of rain forest in Brazil are being cut down each minute! Ozone Layer destruction. This depletes O3, the main blocker of Ultra Violet radiation from the sun. Harmful exposure to UV waves will lead to skin cancer. Environmentalists say that by the year 2020, 20% of all species to be extinct. We have also taken measures to improve the world we live in. Many dangerous chemicals (such as DDT) have been banned. Huge efforts have been made to promote recycling. Emissions of cars and factories have been reduced. Electric and hydrogen cars are being researched, and clean coal technology is being used. New alternative and renewable energy sources are being used. To name a few: Biomass, Wind, Solar, Hydroelectric, Geothermal, and Nuclear. New technology is being continually discovered at an exponential rate. This not only affects us, but also the world around us. The Holocene has seen lasers, space travel, and nuclear warfare. You can decide what future epochs will see.	Sapiens Sapiens
	Possibility of the Greenhouse Effect?
	An alternative source in energy: wind.

Cenozoic Era: Quaternary Period: Holocene Epoch