Seventh Lisbon Architecture Triennale

The study of the interactions between the evolution of the biosphere and the Earth System indicates that human activity has entered a rapid acceleration in the mid-twentieth century, with increased impacts on life processes and distribution on the planet, that have shifted the entire Earth System to a new dynamic, where humans are the main geological drivers.

Mark Williams is Professor of Palaeobiology at the University of Leicester, and a former secretary and long-time member of the Anthropocene Working Group, where much of his work now focuses on quan- tifying human-induced changes to the biosphere. He has co-written several books that examine the special place of the Earth in the cosmos, most recently The Cosmic Oasis (2022). He co-authored The Anthropocene a multidisciplinary approach (2020). Mark Williams examines the evolution of life over geological timescales. Over three decades his research has taken him from the tropics to the polar re- gions, working across terrains as diverse as glaciers, deserts, jungles and everything in between. His current focus is on studying patterns of human induced changes to life, such as the impacts of intro- duced species into ecosystems. His research explores solutions to human induced changes to the bio- sphere. Professor Williams’ research explores how humans might avoid becoming part of this ignoble group of causes of mass extinction.