Final answer:
The current historical period is called the Anthropocene due to the significant and impactful influence of human activities on Earth's ecosystems, characterized by wide-scale environmental disruptions like climate change and widespread species extinctions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Anthropocene Epoch
The term Anthropocene is used to describe the current historical period characterized by the significant impact humans have on the Earth's ecosystems. This term has become increasingly popular among scientists to signify the era when human activities started to have a global impact of great consequence, influencing the planet's atmosphere and ecology. Large-scale human-driven changes include pollution, deforestation, and climate change, leading to the holocene mass extinction of plant and animal species. Despite not being officially recognized in the geologic time scale, which currently places us in the Phanerozoic eon, the concept of the Anthropocene underscores the dominant role that human beings now play in shaping our natural world.
The idea of naming the current epoch the Anthropocene serves as a stark reminder of the extensive influence humans exert on the planet, surpassing even natural events in shaping our environment. As a result, anthropologists and geologists are drawing attention to the holocene mass extinction, exacerbating the need for sustainable living practices to mitigate the implications of humanity's footprint on Earth. Noteworthy, this term encapsulates an age marked by technological growth that has led to profound ecological changes — known as the Exponential Phase or Techno-Industrial Phase.