--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are headed to a radically new Earth…" description: "\"We are headed to a radically new Earth, at least from our perspective. But from the planet's perspective, this is nothing new. As the geologist Peter W..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d48/annalee-newitz-8659_earth_we-are-headed-to-a-radically-new-earth-a_3055493.jpg" --- # We are headed to a radically new Earth, at least from our… ![“We are headed to a radically new Earth, at least from our perspective. But from the planet's perspective, this is nothing new. As the geologist Peter Ward is fond of pointing out, we are actually heading back to a time kind of like the Miocene. The Miocene ended about 5.5 million years ago, and it…” quote by Annalee Newitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d48/annalee-newitz-8659_earth_we-are-headed-to-a-radically-new-earth-a_3055493.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d48/annalee-newitz-8659_earth_we-are-headed-to-a-radically-new-earth-a_3055493.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d48/annalee-newitz-8659_earth_we-are-headed-to-a-radically-new-earth-a_3055493.jpg) > “We are headed to a radically new Earth, at least from our perspective. But from the planet's perspective, this is nothing new. As the geologist Peter Ward is fond of pointing out, we are actually heading back to a time kind of like the Miocene. The Miocene ended about 5.5 million years ago, and it was the last time that the planet had no icecaps.” [Annalee Newitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annalee-newitz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Earth is entering a climate state similar to the Miocene, a period without ice caps, which is new to us but old to the planet. **In simple terms:** We are returning to a warm, ice‑free Earth. Key Takeaway Prepare for climate change. Themes climate history future Mood concerned urgent Type informative analytical When to use this quote - policy making - urban planning - environmental education Key Concepts geology planetary cycles Questions to Reflect On - What lessons can we learn from the Miocene? - How should societies adjust? A Different Perspective Human adaptation may lag behind planetary shifts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Geologist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/geologist/) [Million years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/million-years/) [New earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-earth/) [Nothing new](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing-new/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) ## Related quotes > [ \[In geology,\] As in history, the material in hand remains silent if no questions are asked. 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The good news:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/according-to-geologists-about-100-million-years-from-now-asia-and-the/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) ## More by Annalee Newitz > [“She wasn’t sure which motivation made better fuel for innovation: naïve but ethical beliefs, or the need to survive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annalee-newitz/she-wasn-t-sure-which-motivation-made-better-fuel-for-innovation-na/) [Annalee Newitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annalee-newitz/) > [Humans are a great survivor species but our survival will be pretty grim if all of the plants and animals we depend on die…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annalee-newitz/humans-are-a-great-survivor-species-but-our-survival-will-be-pretty/) [Annalee Newitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annalee-newitz/) > [Amphibians are dying out like crazy, and frogs and salamanders may be largely extinct by the end of the twenty-first century. 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I have a lot of hope for humanity as a species, but obviously as individuals we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annalee-newitz/i-try-to-be-realistic-and-pragmatic-i-have-a-lot-of-hope-for-humanity/) [Annalee Newitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annalee-newitz/) > [The fact is that humans have been shaping the genetics of what they eat for thousands of years. Genetic engineering simply speeds up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annalee-newitz/the-fact-is-that-humans-have-been-shaping-the-genetics-of-what-they/) [Annalee Newitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annalee-newitz/) > [In terms of fiction, there are a number of writers who are thinking about the future of the environment whose work complements mine. 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