The Anthropocene era represents the most recent period in Earth’s history in which human activity has started to have a large impact on the planet’s climate and ecosystems. This can be seen as our downfall due to the recklessness of humans and how we treat the environment. The innovation that has been made has caused much damage to the Earth and its climate, which could soon cause catastrophes of apocalyptic proportions. In order to reverse our damage, change needs to be made now and maintained in the future.
Architecture can play a large role in the post Anthropocene by transforming the norms and adapting to new climatic conditions that may arise. For example, JOA has proposed five types of architecture that will benefit future societies, New York Ark, Beijing Smog Free Tower, Amsterdam Sin City, Manila Garbage-Recycling Furniture Factory, and Reykjavik Data Centre. All of these designs are set in spheres around the world and are specified to the needs of each region. They tackle issues such as rising water levels, increased smog, municipal waste, air pollution, and a need for communication. Current and past human activities have caused the future of the world to inevitably deteriorate and have a need for this type of architecture. The downfall of our environment calls for drastic changes to our society and the
depletion of luxuries that we take for granted.
Cyberpunk helps us to better understand and visualize the future in the post Anthropocene. It shows how humans have adapted to the climatic and societal changes of the future, which has been made apocalyptic to different extents. Cyberpunk architecture often utilizes secondhand structures such as storage containers, trailers, mechanical parts, industrial machines, and abandoned buildings. Cyberpunk also utilizes artificial intelligence and other mechanical beings because most of the natural world has depleted and all that is left are man-made items. So, it really shows how the recklessness of humans in terms of pollution and materialism will lead us down a path to apocalyptic conditions if nothing is changed now.
The hyperloop shows a step in the right direction of sustainable innovation that could either help to reverse the downfall created by the Anthropocene or be utilized in post Anthropocene times. Transportation has been revolutionized by the hyperloop and it would have a great impact on the environment by making other forms of transportation obsolete. The possibilities of this are endless and give hope to having major change in society so that our environmental footprint is smaller. When the hyperloop becomes a widespread form of transportation, it will allow for new opportunities for humans and the environment alike. Landscapes would be able to become more intricate and biodiversity would be able to increase. There would no longer be a need to disrupt the environment in terms of infrastructure such as roads, etc. So, wildlife would be able to flourish and climatic conditions would also be able to stabilize and even lower without the harmful gasses from construction, cars, and trains being released into the atmosphere.
The effect of the Anthropocene on the future as of now is catastrophic. But if the proper measures are taken throughout society, a better post Anthropocene could be in our grasp. With innovations such as the hyperloop, an apocalyptic future could become fiction again. If cyberpunk has shown us anything, it is that the selfishness and naiveness of humans is leading us down a path of destruction and it will inevitably be our demise. Taking action now will change the outcome of our world and reverse the damages caused by climate change and other negative effects on the environment. Positive societal change now will benefit our living conditions in the future.
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