"Humans have had such a huge impact on the Earth that some geologists think the human era should be enshrined in the official timeline of our planet."

"They want to give the age of humans a formal name, just as scientists use terms like the Jurassic or the Cretaceous to talk about the age of dinosaurs."

"But some researchers think that formally establishing an "Anthropocene" — as many call it — as part of the geologic time scale would be a big mistake."

"The debate is heating up as a working group is getting closer to making recommendations to the scientific organization that decides such things — the International Union of Geological Sciences. The working group's interim report is expected by next year."