Signatures of the Anthropocene: Tracing Environmental Transformation

Signatures of the Anthropocene: Tracing Environmental Transformation

In 2000, scholars Paul Crutzen and Eugene Stoermer proposed the formal recognition of a new ‘Anthropocene’ epoch, a geological era defined by profound human modification of the global environment. How might we understand this epoch through transformations of the Earth’s surfaces––the erosion of coastlines, the clearing of forests, or the accumulation of plastic along ocean horizons? What are the signatures of the “Anthropocene” and how can they be measured? Through material residues, Artist, Curator and Lecturer Wang Ruobing (Lasalle College) creates physical records of discarded objects that wash ashore along Singapore’s coastlines. Associate Professor Edward Park (National Institute of Education and Asian School of Environment, NTU) examines the impacts of sand mining and natural disasters at a geographical scale, tracing changing riverscapes and landscapes through remote sensing technologies and GIS modelling. Moderated by archaeologist Franca Cole, this lecture explores how surfaces of the earth are being radically altered by climate change and human activity and asks how we document and mediate the processes changing our coastlines forever. 

Tuesday Lecture 
7 April 2026
6:30 – 8:30pm 
The Hall, NTU CCA Singapore 
Free with registration

Climate Transformation: Sustainable Societies Lecture Series Cycle 2 (Aug 2025 - May 2026) 

About the Climate Transformation: Sustainable Societies Lecture Series   

The series returns for its second cycle in the Academic Year 2025-26. Each session features researchers from the Climate Transformation Programme, alongside contributors from other academic fields, as well as artists, architects and advocates. In this second iteration, the lecture series is framed with policy relevance in mind, with respondents from various government agencies, non-governmental organisations, and other relevant industries offering immediate commentary.  

About the team 

The Climate Transformation: Sustainable Societies Series is organised by members of the Climate Transformation Programme (CTP) Cross-Cutting Theme 1: Sustainable Societies research team, Principal Investigator Professor Ute Meta Bauer, research fellow Joshua Gebert, research associate Ng Mei Jia and research assistant Angela Ricasio Hoten. 

Sustainable Societies 
Principal Investigator, Professor Ute Meta Bauer (NTU ADM) 
Principal Investigator, Associate Professor Laura Miotto (NTU ADM) 
Principal Investigator, Professor Dr Thomas Schroepfer (SUTD)  

This Lecture Series is supported by the Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 3 grant [MOE-MOET32022-0006] for the Climate Transformation Programme.   

7 April 2026

English

This lecture explores how surfaces of the earth are being radically altered by climate change and human activity and asks how we document and mediate the processes changing our coastlines forever.

General

Onsite (CCA)

Yes

No

Yes