What is Platform Anthropocene?
Platform Anthropocene, known as #planthro, proposes to understand and plan human-Earth interaction with a broad-base approach, merging perspectives from academia, economy, society, and technology. The project offers means and methods to integrate anthropocene content, community, data, and debate in order to manage global challenges such as human impact, climate change adaptation and mitigation, sustainable growth, and global welfare. Often described as a lucid view of the complexity of human-Earth interaction… the initiative empowers individuals and organizations to work collaboratively across academic, economic, social, environmental, governance, and technological contexts. This is a space where critical ideas meet robust solutions, offering a comprehensive look at the processes that contribute both to successful adaptation and to undesirable impacts on the Earth system.
Main Benefits
Key figures and facts underscore the impact of #planthro:
- 1200 Posts
- 22 Volunteers
- Over 50 Endorsers
- 7000 Followers
- 25 Countries represented
- $15,000 Raised
These metrics highlight the vibrant, global community and the real momentum behind the project. They speak to a unique blend of academic insight, social media outreach, and strategic development that drives the platform’s capability to create informed, long-term solutions to human-Earth challenges.
Ongoing Projects
The journey of this platform is defined by its diverse, ongoing work. Since 2015, the Corporate Development initiative has organized a team of more than 20 volunteers from all over the globe, validated ideas with leading experts, and set up a not-for-profit private operating foundation in New York State. The team even applied for tax exemption and drafted the organization’s overall strategy, administrative, and legal structure. In parallel, from 2016 onward, the BIBLIO project evolved into a digital repository of references and a comprehensive bibliography on human-Earth interactions with content that covers scientific publications, popular works, governance reports, talks, MOOCs, documentaries, and much more. Complementing these efforts is the Outreach initiative, which began in 2017. This project consists of broad-base social media outreach on multiple channels, including the creation and broadcast of content such as an original educational podcast and a quarterly newsletter that keeps subscribers and stakeholders updated about internal progress and new developments… always keeping the conversation fresh and engaging.
Future Initiatives
Looking ahead, the project has charted clear directions for its future. Starting from 2019, a multilingual Wiki of over 10,000 articles on the anthropocene epoch and related issues has been set up, inviting contributions and even synchronizing with Wikipedia. Alongside this, a series of blogs featuring personal opinions of invited experts has been launched, providing unique perspectives while fostering an exchange of ideas in an online forum. Moreover, from late 2020, plans center on developing an Analytics suite. This future initiative aims to create an online data repository hosting thousands of anthropocene and sustainability databases – both quantitative and qualitative – including data from organizations such as UNDP, IMF, and the World Bank. The analytics will enable in-situ modeling and visualization, producing simulations and infographics in a dynamic, model-ready format for a broad range of users.
Collaboration & Expertise
A project as ambitious as Platform Anthropocene is bolstered by a team of dedicated professionals. Andrea Balbo, the lead subject matter expert and chief editor, brings extensive expertise in the long-term study of human-environment interaction and integrated modeling of complex socio-ecological systems. Vasavi Vittal steers the strategy and corporate development functions, joining her vast experience in finance and investment management with academic credentials from the University of Oxford and the University of Maryland. Madhura Chikhalikar provides valuable advice on corporate finance, compliance, and legal matters from a background that spans notable corporations. Eiti Batra drives the social media strategy with passion, promoting community engagement with a proven record in technology strategy and enterprise-level IT budgeting. Prerna Singh contributes as the editor and social media manager, carrying experience from major Indian publications alongside a PhD in Environmental Chemistry. Amit Batra offers support as general administrator and financial controller, following a career path that bridges research engineering with consulting in analytics and scientific computing. Eesha Chitale ensures the content stays bite-sized and consumable for social media audiences while also managing client services. Pallavii Chauhan, an editor with market research experience in emerging tech markets, and Naresh Mulchandani, who oversees company secretarial functions and serves as treasurer with his entrepreneurial background, round out a versatile team that underscores the project’s credibility and drive.
Project Impact
- Climate Action (SDG 13)
- Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9)
- Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11)
- Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12)
- Life on Land (SDG 15)
- Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17)
Overall Contribution
Platform Anthropocene’s efforts—spanning from foundational corporate development to innovative outreach and expansive future initiatives—provide a stellar example of trans-disciplinary collaboration in addressing global challenges. This project not only conveys and shares a lucid, multifaceted view of human-Earth interaction, but also arms individuals and organizations with the insights needed to develop robust solutions. Emphasizing inclusivity and practical utility, the platform draws in a global audience and inspires continuous dialogue around sustainable adaptation and mitigation strategies. Through its digital repository, targeted social media campaigns, and planned advanced analytics, it fosters an environment where knowledge is both preserved and dynamically shared. In effect, #planthro emerges as an informed space that represents a marriage of academic expertise, economic insight, a commitment to social progress, and state-of-the-art technological strategies—all of which interplay to create a sustainable future for the planet.
