Although the message of a new planetary epoch is not new, the proclamation of the Anthropocene indicates a new dimension of human influence on natural history. Rather than just dissolving the borders between "nature" and "culture," the impact of human interventions into the planet has reached geological proportions. In the context of an ecological paradigm, human responsibility is no longer just related to the preservation of unspoiled areas and the idea of a future civilization that has made its peace with nature. Instead, we desperately need sociotechnological skills to meet the massive demand for resources and labor required by the rapidly ongoing processes of urbanization.