anthropause

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:

anthropause

Etymology

From anthro- +‎ -pause. Coined by a team of researchers and scientists in June 2020 in an article discussing the possible impact of COVID-19 lockdown on wildlife.^[1]

Noun

anthropause (plural anthropauses)

(neologism) A global reduction in modern human activity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Synonym: great pause
- 2020, Alan Parkinson, Why Study Geography?, page 40:
  The enforced global 'anthropause' during part of 2020 was also a reminder of the importance of timing: we have become used to having the things we need.
- 2021 November, Amanda E. Bates, Richard B. Primack, Brandy S. Biggar, Tomas J. Bird, Mary E. Clinton, “Global COVID-19 lockdown highlights humans as both threats and custodians of the environment”, in Biological Conservation‎^[2], volume 263, →DOI, →ISSN:
  Thus, the COVID-19 lockdown has led to a significant global reduction in human mobility, notably travel, causing an “anthropause” (Rutz et al., 2020).
- [2022 July 16, Emily Anthes, “Did Nature Heal During the Pandemic ‘Anthropause’?”, in The New York Times‎^[3], →ISSN:
  A growing body of literature paints a complex portrait of the slowdown of human activity that has become known as the “anthropause.”]

References

^ Christian Rutz, Matthias-Claudio Loretto, Amanda E. Bates, Sarah C. Davidson, Carlos M. Duarte (2020 June 22) “COVID-19 lockdown allows researchers to quantify the effects of human activity on wildlife”, in Nature Ecology & Evolution‎^[1], volume 4, number 9, →DOI, →ISSN, pages 1156–1159:
We propose ‘anthropause’ to refer specifically to a considerable global slowing of modern human activities, notably travel. We are aware that the correct prefix is ‘anthropo-’ (for ‘human’) but opted for the shortened form, which is easier to remember and use, and where the missing ‘po’ is still echoed in the pronunciation of ‘pause’ (pɔːz).

[1] Christian Rutz, Matthias-Claudio Loretto, Amanda E. Bates, Sarah C. Davidson, Carlos M. Duarte (2020 June 22) “COVID-19 lockdown allows researchers to quantify the effects of human activity on wildlife”, in Nature Ecology & Evolution‎^[1], volume 4, number 9, →DOI, →ISSN, pages 1156–1159:
We propose ‘anthropause’ to refer specifically to a considerable global slowing of modern human activities, notably travel. We are aware that the correct prefix is ‘anthropo-’ (for ‘human’) but opted for the shortened form, which is easier to remember and use, and where the missing ‘po’ is still echoed in the pronunciation of ‘pause’ (pɔːz).

[1]

English

Etymology

Noun

See also

References