ABSTRACT
The chapter interprets the Anthropocene as an expression of the interdependencies between a radically transformed nature, the man-made technosphere with its path dependencies and internal dynamics, as well as societies. The latter are both driving forces of the Anthropocene but also affected by it. The authors use the handling of nuclear remnants and the final disposal of high-level radioactive waste as an example to demonstrate the changed relationship between nature, technology and society, which they interpret as a characteristic of the Anthropocene. They argue that the technosphere challenges present and future generations with an increasing phenomenon called ‘unknown unknowns’, i.e., societies have to deal with incalculable timescales, path dependencies and increasing uncontrollability of the technosphere. This calls for novel governance concepts that comply better with the interrelations between nature, technology and society, capable of taking uncertainties and uncontrollable dynamics into account.
