The fairly new term "Anthropocene" refers to a proposed geologic epoch in which man made his mark on the earth. We are in that epoch right now, but when did it start? That's up for discussion. There are arguments that man began changing the world with the development of agriculture, but was that enough change to make a real difference? Was it the Industrial Revolution? Or maybe the first atomic bomb? No consensus has yet been reached.
There is a proposal to use Crawford lake in Ontario as a reference point for the beginning of the Anthropocene -or at least for studying and documenting it. It's a small lake, but it has some very specific and interesting properties that make it uniquely suitable for such a reference point. Besides it being perfectly suited for the purpose, it's already in a conservation area designated as an Ontario Area of Natural and Scientific Interest. Savannah Geary of Sci Show explains, and makes us want to visit Crawford Lake.