I’m thinking we’ve sort of maxed out Cenozoic era. It has served us well in many ways, but frankly, it’s getting a bit tired. Seeing as how humans were ones to name eras in first place (that part is definitely time as a function of life), it’s perfectly reasonable that humans should declare when next one is starting. It’s fairly arbitrary anyway. There’s certainly some wiggle room—at least a couple hundred thousand years.

Can we start new one now? Please?

Here’s an idea—-why not put a little thought into next era? Instead of documenting progress—-or decline—-of species, why not plug in a little intention and see where that takes us?

I wish I’d thought of that first, but I didn’t. Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme coined term “Ecozoic era” in The Universe Story, and then Berry went on to talk about what that might look like in his book, The Great Work. He calls for a profoundly transformational approach to Earth. Berry describes Ecozoic era as one holding promise of humans living in a mutually enhancing relationship with all life systems.

This sounds pretty groovy, but it’s not viewed as a Utopian concept. It’s a viable proposition.

The first steps have been taken to build foundation for a realistic movement toward this new era. The Center for Ecozoic Studies is at forefront, but a number of scholars of all stripes are coming together to do some planning. There’s not a gloom-and-doomer in bunch. In fact, they are catapulted by hope and possibility. They take this work very seriously but embrace it joyfully.

We should, too. We humans have come a long way from pounding rocks in a cave. We’re perfectly capable of looking forward and envisioning an unprecedented era capitalizing on cooperation and awareness as guiding principles. We do it in movies all time. Why can’t we do it for real?

I’d like to propose that we consider utilizing concept that life is a function of time. Let’s think about what it means to plan an era. The cave folks couldn’t imagine world today. We have advantage of knowledge of history and a growing understanding of forces that propel a planet through its evolutionary journey.

Like it or not, we have a certain responsibility to use these formidable frontal lobes. You don’t have to be a scientist to think about future of Earth. You’re human. Think about it because you CAN.

Look for fossil moments in your day to consider universe, and grasp opportunity to render yourself temporarily insignificant.

Just watch out for asphalt.

So take those return-address stickers you got from "Friends of Hard-Luck Martian Television Stars" (or whomever) and use 'em up! P.S. To get less junk mail in first place, you can get on "Stop Sending Me This Crap" list at Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service -- http://www.dmaconsumers.org/offmailinglist.html .

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