This is a geological period that many scientists believe superseded the Holocene epoch in the middle of the 20th century. It is characterized by humans’ impact on the environment, most notably in terms of climate change. As the authors write, the Anthropocene is “a new geological period where biogeochemical conditions are dominated not by natural processes but by the palpable impact of human activity” (5).

Artificial intelligence is defined as machines that mimic human intelligence based on algorithms using logic and methods of reasoning. One kind of AI is machine learning, in which machines use the data they collect to improve their performance. This could aid people in combatting climate change by helping efficiently allocate energy.

As used in this book, climate change refers to the warming of the planet as a result of human activity rather than natural causes. The emission of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels is climate change’s driving cause.