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In 2015, the journal Science invited me to comment on the start of anthropogenic change. That request was likely related to the fact that the Anthropocene Working Group (AWG) of the International Commission of Stratigraphy was thinking of choosing a formal start date for the Anthropocene at or after 1950. Joined by three co-authors (Ruddiman et al., 2015), we emphasized the many near-global anthropogenic changes that preceded 1950 by centuries to millennia. Early in 2018, Progress in Physical Geography (PiPG) published a more extended critique of mine regarding this possible AWG action. I noted three flaws in choosing 1950 as the formal start date. In response to this challenge, the AWG recently submitted two draft papers to PiPG, one rebutting my 2018 paper (Zalasiewicz et al.), and one supporting and extending it (Edgeworth et al.). The first part of this reply elaborates on the flaws cited in my 2018 PiPG paper, incorporating comments from Edgeworth et al. The second part addresses the criticisms in Zalasiewicz et al. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the reconstruction of European Atlantic storm events with the contribution of a new stormy reconstruction in its central part. Three marsh environments on the island of Yeu were chosen to identify disturbing storm events from the Mid- to Late Holocene with vibracore sampling, radiocarbon dating and sedimentary analysis. Nine probable intervals of high energy deposition in these low-transport-activity environments are estimated: 600–500, near 1590, 2100–1950, 2850–2350, 3500–3270, 5400–5370, 6650–6510, near 7000 and between 7670 and 7470 calibrated years before present (cal y BP). By comparison with sedimentological paleostorm studies, we confirm six European Atlantic storm events estimated at near 600–300, 1700–1100, 2900–2500, 3500–3300, 5500–5100 and 7700–7100 cal y BP, corresponding to worldwide Holocene cooling climatic periods. A comparison with other storminess reviews of worldwide main stormy coasts shows that Holocene storms can increase during global cooling periods in the northern hemisphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]