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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> SI Email Announcements <br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, September 04, 2012 3:47 PM<br><b>To:</b> SI-GEO-FtPierce, FL; SI-GEO-National Capital Region; SI-GEO-NYC All Sites; SI-GEO-NZP-SCBI Front Royal, VA; SI-GEO-Remote Locations; SI-GEO-SAO All Sites; SI-GEO-SERC Edgewater, MD; SI-GEO-STRI Panama<br><b>Subject:</b> Grand Challenges Consortia invites you: Oct 11 symposium The Anthropocene<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>THE ANTHROPOCENE: </span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>PLANET EARTH IN THE AGE OF HUMANS </span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:6.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'> </span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>A one-day symposium sponsored by the Smithsonian’s Grand Challenges Consortia</span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:6.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'> </span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>11 October 2012</span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>9:15 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. with a reception to follow</span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>Baird Auditorium, National Museum of Natural History</span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>10<sup>th</sup> St. & Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC</span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:6.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'> </span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>The world is changing at a rapid pace. Scientists have documented significant changes during the last century in climate, land-use, and biodiversity that are unprecedented over the last thousand years. These changes are also occurring at a time of rapid social, economic, political, and technological transformation. Although the Earth and its human occupation have always been characterized by change, the current rate and scale of these changes may be unparalleled by any time in the past since the beginning of civilization. Even the fields of literature and the arts are adapting as writers and artists grapple with unprecedented social and environmental upheavals.</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:6.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>A consensus has been reached that the tremendous scope of transformations now occurring on the Earth, with profound effects on plants, animals, and natural habitats, is primarily the result of human activities. Geologists have proposed the term <i>Anthropocene</i>, or the “Age of Man,” for this new period in the history of the planet, which follows the relatively stable Holocene period. On a geological scale the planet has entered a new era. Natural processes that control the functioning of the planet have been interrupted, refashioned, or accelerated over the last thousand years by human civilization. No longer can nature be studied or understood in isolation from the human world.</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:6.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:center;text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>In order to address the arrival and the impact of the <i>Anthropocene</i> through the lenses of science, society and culture, the Smithsonian Institution’s Grand Challenges Consortia is hosting a symposium on October 11, 2012 to discuss, debate, and deliberate on these issues of change. Four talks will address issues of global change from the perspectives of history, art, culture, philosophy, economics, and science. Each of these presentations will be followed by responses from an interdisciplinary panel of scholars that willfoster a wide-ranging discussion of the issues. The day will conclude with a summation by a respected public leader.</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:6.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>Speakers include:</span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>Charles C. Mann </span></b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>-<b> </b>correspondent for <i>The Atlantic Monthly</i>, <i>Science</i>, and <i>Wired; </i>author of the books <i>1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus</i> and <i>1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created</i></span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>Sabine O’Hara </span></b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>- Dean, College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, & Environmental Sciences at the University of the District of Columbia</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>Richard Alley</span></b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'> - Professor of Geosciences at Pennsylvania State University and author of <i>Earth: The Operators’ Manual</i></span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>Chris Jordan </span></b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>-<b> </b>Artist based in Seattle who explores contemporary mass culture from a variety of photographic and conceptual perspectives</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>The Honorable Timothy E. Wirth</span></b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'> - President of the United Nations Foundation and Better World Fund; first Undersecretary for Global Affairs in the U.S. Department of State; former Congressman and Senator from Colorado</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:6.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>The event is free and open to the public. All are welcome, but space is limited.</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>RSVP to </span></b><span style='color:black'><a href="mailto:Consortia@si.edu"><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Consortia@si.edu</span></b></a></span><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'> to receive a ticket. Program details available: </span></b><span style='color:black'><a href="http://www.si.edu/consortia"><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>www.si.edu/consortia</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>For further information on this message, contact </span>Smithsonian Consortia<span style='color:black'>, x31507 (VoIP) or 202-633-1507 (non-VoIP), </span><a href="mailto:Consortia@si.edu">Consortia@si.edu</a><span style='color:#1F497D'>.</span> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>________________________________________<span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%'>Please do not reply to this e-mail. SI Announcements are sent from an unattended mailbox. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%'>If you are using Outlook, you do not need to save any SI-wide announcements. All past SI-wide announcements are available in the Outlook "SI Email Announcement Archive" public folder. For directions on how to view this folder, go to <a href="http://prism2.si.edu/SIOrganization/OCIO/ITSupport/Pages/FAQ-Previous-SI-Wides.aspx">http://prism2.si.edu/SIOrganization/OCIO/ITSupport/Pages/FAQ-Previous-SI-Wides.aspx</a></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></body></html>