This CARTA public symposia focuses on the long and short-term impact of humans on the planet that we inhabit, and the consequences for the future of our species. This also gives us the opportunity to celebrate the memory of the late Paul Crutzen, who coined the term "Anthropocene." It is relevant to ask how a single species evolved the capacity to completely alter the surface of an entire planet and dominate its governing environmental and ecological processes. This symposium brings together experts regarding human impact on the planet and also address the current and future implications for our species. (#37875)