Technomass
Technomass refers to the mass of all human-made (artificial/anthropogenic) structures and objects on Earth. The amount of technomass provides a quantitative characterization of the human impact on the planet. The term gained prominence when a study.[1] showed that, around 2020, the amount of all technomass became greater than the global biomass,[2] i.e. the mass of all of living organisms on the planet. Having crossed this symbolic level highlights the dramatic human-induced epoch of the Anthropocene. It has also been pointed out the production of technomass is on a scale greater than natural erosive terrestrial geological processes. In 2024, the total technomass is estimated to be about 1.4 teratons (1.4 trillion tons)[3]
Main contributions
[edit ]Technomass is dominated by construction materials in structures (e.g. buildings) and infrastructure (e.g. pavements). Its main contributions[1] are
- concrete: ~50%
- construction aggregates (crushed stone, gravel, sand): ~30%
- bricks: ~8%
- asphalt: ~5%
- metal structures: ~3%
- glass: a few %
In addition, manufactured plastics contribute to about 1%.[4] Their production[5] keeps increasing exponentially. Today, humans use about 100 times their own mass in plastic.[3]
Maps of technomass can now be created using satellite-based observations of the Earth.[6]
The 20th century rise of the technomass
[edit ]
The concept of technomass is important in discussions about human impact on the environment, resource consumption, and the Anthropocene—the proposed geological epoch defined by significant human influence on Earth's geology and ecosystems. It was estimated[1] that, in 2020, the total technomass was around 1.1 teratons (1,100 gigatons), most of which created over the past century. In comparison, the 1.1 teratons of biomass emerged over several billion years.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, technomass has doubled roughly every 20 years.[1] It is a key indicator of human influence on the planet and its measurement helps track resource use and environmental impact. Today, the transformation of the Earth's land surface by mineral extraction and construction is on a scale greater than natural erosive terrestrial geological processes. Humans have become the most significant global geomorphological driving force.[7] Each week, they produce an amount of technomass that is comparable to that of their own mass.
See also
[edit ]References
[edit ]- ^ a b c d Elhacham, Emily; Ben-Uri, Liad; Grozovski, Jonathan; Bar-On, Yinon M.; Milo, Ron (2020年12月09日). "Global human-made mass exceeds all living biomass". Nature. 588 (7838): 442–444. Bibcode:2020Natur.588..442E. doi:10.1038/s41586-020-3010-5. ISSN 0028-0836. PMID 33299177.
- ^ Bar-On YM, Phillips R, Milo R (June 2018). "The biomass distribution on Earth". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 115 (25): 6506–6511. Bibcode:2018PNAS..115.6506B. doi:10.1073/pnas.1711842115 . PMC 6016768 . PMID 29784790.
- ^ a b "Biocubes". www.biocubes.net. Retrieved 2024年12月27日.
- ^ Geyer, Roland; Jambeck, Jenna R.; Law, Kara Lavender (2017年07月07日). "Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made". Science Advances. 3 (7) e1700782. Bibcode:2017SciA....3E0782G. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1700782. ISSN 2375-2548. PMC 5517107 . PMID 28776036.
- ^ Ritchie, Hannah; Samborska, Veronika; Roser, Max (2023年12月28日). "Plastic Pollution". Our World in Data.
- ^ Wiedenhofer, Dominik; Schug, Franz; Gauch, Hannes; Lanau, Maud; Drewniok, Michal P.; Baumgart, André; Virág, Doris; Watt, Harry; Serrenho, André Cabrera; Tingley, Danielle Densley; Haberl, Helmut; Frantz, David (2024年07月01日). "Mapping material stocks of buildings and mobility infrastructure in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland". Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 206 107630. Bibcode:2024RCR...20607630W. doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107630 . ISSN 0921-3449.
- ^ Cooper, Anthony H; Brown, Teresa J; Price, Simon J; Ford, Jonathan R; Waters, Colin N (December 2018). "Humans are the most significant global geomorphological driving force of the 21st century" . The Anthropocene Review. 5 (3): 222–229. Bibcode:2018AntRv...5..222C. doi:10.1177/2053019618800234. ISSN 2053-0196.
