The Earth has entered a new age―the Anthropocene―in which humans are the most powerful influence on global ecology. Since the mid-twentieth century, the accelerating pace of energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and population growth has thrust the planet into a massive uncontrolled experiment. The Great Acceleration explains its causes and consequences, highlighting the role of energy systems, as well as trends in climate change, urbanization, and environmentalism. More than any other factor, human dependence on fossil fuels inaugurated the Anthropocene. Before 1700, people used little in the way of fossil fuels, but over the next two hundred years coal became the most important energy source. When oil entered the picture, coal and oil soon accounted for seventy-five percent of human energy use. This allowed far more economic activity and produced a higher standard of living than people had ever known―but it created far more ecological disruption. We are now living in the Anthropocene. The period from 1945 to the present represents the most anomalous period in the history of humanity’s relationship with the biosphere. Three-quarters of the carbon dioxide humans have contributed to the atmosphere has accumulated since World War II ended, and the number of people on Earth has nearly tripled. So far, humans have dramatically altered the planet’s biogeochemical systems without consciously managing them. If we try to control these systems through geoengineering, we will inaugurate another stage of the Anthropocene. Where it might lead, no one can say for sure.

本书是美国著名历史学家W.H.麦克尼尔和J.R.麦克尼尔父子合作撰写的一部世界简史。作者以深湛的史学功底，拣出"网络"这一核心概念，着眼于人类历史演进过程中"网络"的建构，简明生动地描述了世界历史朝向全球一体化的发展趋势，为我们提供了在世界历史视域中理解人类经历的一种崭新的框架。

了解過去人類對地球造成的危害 才能避免未來全球生態崩潰的危機 二十世紀人類造就了一場翻天覆地的全球環境變革。無論就環境變遷的強度及人為因素的影響程度來說，廿世紀都是一個超乎尋常的世紀。而人類正是這一切的始作俑者。作者麥可尼爾將地球生態史和人類社經史並列討論，透過歷史學家的眼光，檢視這場二十世紀人類對地球生態發動的大規模實驗。 本書特色 1.唯一一本關於二十世紀世界環境史的著作，資料豐富、架構完整。 2.彰師大歷史研究所入學考試題曾以本書命題，適合各大專院校歷史、生態學及相關人文通識課程用書。 3.本書榮獲2001年世界史學會圖書獎及森林學會圖書獎。 4.本書獲國家教育研究院合作翻譯發行學術著作計畫案贊助出版，經專家審查推薦。

The history of the twentieth century is most often told through its world wars, the rise and fall of communism, or its economic upheavals. In his startling new book, J. R. McNeill gives us our first general account of what may prove to be the most significant dimension of the twentieth century: its environmental history. To a degree unprecedented in human history, we have refashioned the earth's air, water, and soil, and the biosphere of which we are a part. Based on exhaustive research, McNeill's story a compelling blend of anecdotes, data, and shrewd analysis never preaches: it is our definitive account. This is a volume in The Global Century Series (general editor, Paul Kennedy).

The Companion to Global Environmental History offers multiple points of entry into the history and historiography of this dynamic and fast-growing field, to provide an essential road map to past developments, current controversies, and future developments for specialists and newcomers alike. Combines temporal, geographic, thematic and contextual approaches from prehistory to the present day Explores environmental thought and action around the world, to give readers a cultural, intellectual and political context for engagement with the environment in modern times Brings together environmental historians from around the world, including scholars from South Africa, Brazil, Germany, and China

Since 1750, the world has become ever more connected, with processes of production and destruction no longer limited by land- or water-based modes of transport and communication. Volume 7 of the Cambridge World History series, divided into two books, offers a variety of angles of vision on the increasingly interconnected history of humankind. The first book examines structures, spaces, and processes within which and through which the modern world was created, including the environment, energy, technology, population, disease, law, industrialization, imperialism, decolonization, nationalism, and socialism, along with key world regions.