We created the Anthropocene, and the Anthropocene is biting back | Alastair Gee, Dani Anguiano

It's clear from a recent litany of disasters - from the coronavirus pandemic to America's deadliest wildfire in a century - there are forces that cannot be domesticated

• Read an excerpt from the authors' new book on the worst US wildfire in 100 years

About 12,000 years ago, human domestication of the natural world began in earnest with the intentional cultivation of wild plants and animals. Fast forward to today and our dominion over the planet appears complete, as 7.8 billion of us multiply across its surface and our reach extends from the deep-sea beds, which are being mined, to the heavens, where we are, according to Donald Trump, dispatching a space force.

Yet as has been made clear by a recent litany of disasters - from the coronavirus pandemic to America's deadliest wildfire in a century - there are forces that cannot be domesticated. Indeed, our interference with the natural world is making them more liable to flare up into tragedy. We created the Anthropocene, and the Anthropocene is biting back.