Are we entering the Anthropocene Epoch?

A curious article in The Guardian suggests that we are entering a new geologic age and that our own species (long known to archaeologists to be veritable litterbugs- in earlier ages leaving shards of pottery and glass everywhere, now leaving shards of plastic, and always, chicken bones) has now affected the environment so much with nuclear and carbon pollution, that we are causing a "sixth extinction" point.

Not so fast, says conservationist Stewart Brand- we are being arrogant and pessimistic to assume that this is an extinction level event.  What mankind messes up, mankind can clean up, and local efforts can make a huge difference for species such as the Giant Panda, who are limited in their range and were recently taken OFF the endangered species list.