Deliberations of a designated working group to define the Anthropocene as an epoch in the Geologic Timescale have entered a recommendation phase toward its Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) with a dozen sites initially proposed. Each is centered on a ‘bomb spike’ of fallout from mid-20th century atomic explosion tests: however, this is a controversial criterion given the world’s abhorrence of nuclear war. A recently proposed alternative approach would recognize the Anthropocene as a blended geological and historical event beginning at different times over tens of thousands of years and still gathering pace due to humanity’s disruption of the Earth System. A forum for questions after site presentations at a recent meeting of the working group spurred this report. Enhancing the alternative approach by revisiting seldom-referenced aspects of Paul Crutzen’s 2002 vision for the Anthropocene and reflecting on a large body of related perspectives, the Anthropocene could be positioned as the name of a needed new renaissance movement in world history, a bold step that would also reinforce geoscience as a force for the greater good.