October - December 2020
CONTENT
Chair's Foreword
Sustainable Geoscience
Earth Science Events
References and selected reading
Chair's Foreword*
The theme of sustainability is ever-present in Society newsletters. Not being a geoscientist (I trained in civil engineering), I this week heard for the first time about "sustainable Geoscience" and how this is becoming an area of concern among geologists.
Humans are using more natural resources than ever before. We note immediately of course the connection of geoscience to much of the activity that is locating and exploiting climate-warming fossil fuels. Perhaps the moves towards "sustainable geoscience" allude to the ethical responsibilities that geoscientists must now acknowledge and meet in their future choices, which should also include getting more involved in programmes for sustainable development.
Sustainable Geoscience
The movement towards "sustainable geoscience" is surely a part of the same historical shift in the emphasis of Earth science disciplines where there has emerged a greater linkage of wellbeing in the human population to wellbeing of the planet and the soil. Indeed, according to Mora [1] early researchers sought to define sustainable geoscience as a study of the interactions between human and environmental systems. It is recognised that societal systems impact on environmental systems and vice versa. These systems are, at some level, part of the planet's complex organism.
Geosciences appear to be in a moment of self reflection. Geologists are plainly concerned at being left out from discussions about sustainable development and wish to redress this imbalance urgently [1], [2], [3]. Along with this self reflection comes the recognition that geologists have been associated with practices leading to the over-exploitation of earth's resources, including climate-warming fossil fuels. The awakening has been one on the importance of the ethical dimension in geoscientific practice as evinced by the emergence of NGOs such as the IAPG (International Association for the Promotion of Geo-ethics)[4].
Humans are now seen to be a dominant geological force on the planet [5], emphasising the point that geology is not just the study of rocks. Earth surface and subsurface rocks convey information about the past, present and future of the Earth. The processes of climate change and geological processes are inextricably linked. The geological history of our planet tells us, for instance, that we currently have the highest CO2 level in 3 million years and that the current rate of planetary warming is unprecedented [6].
Geologists have skills to move society towards sustainability. The special skills of geologists in evaluating the Earth's sustained viability for life mean that we need geologists to be part of the sustainable development discussion. Problems of great complexity due to the non-linear response of the environment to societal systems and the deepening of this complexity due to time lags and feedback mechanisms that can either amplify or dampen these responses mean that the special skills of geologists and other disciplines that must work together to provide long range analysis are needed more than ever. This long term view is essential in the emerging science of sustainable development.
Most studies acknowledge there is a need for geoscientists to engage in the sustainability debate and recommend future training of geoscientists to be in a better position to fulfill this role. Some initiatives are already underway to address this need for geoscientists to contribute to this area, with adaptations to earth science training to include sustainable geoscience and sustainable development being recommended [7].
Earth Science Events
January 28-29, 2021
International Conference on Environmental Geology and Geological Engineering ALSO
Earth Science and Climate Change, and Environmental Science Geophysics and Geodymanics Conference
VISION: Bringing together scientists, researchers and scholars to share experiences, knowledge and research on the subject areas.
VENUE: Dubai, UAE
March 4_5, 2021
Council for Geosciences, South Africa
Annual Conference - Geoscience: The fulcrum of human development
VISION: visit https://www.geoscience.org.za/conference
VENUE: Online
March 4-5, 2021
Conference on Earth and Space Science and Engineering ALSO
Geomechanics and Geotechnics Conference
VISION: Bringing together scientists, researchers and scholars to share experiences, knowledge and research on the subject areas.
VENUE: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
November 4-5, 2021
International Conference on Ecological Geology and Earth Science ALSO
Earth Science and Climate Change ALSO Rock Mechanics, Geological Ecology and Environmental Engineering Conferences
VISION: Bringing together scientists, researchers and scholars to share experiences, knowledge and research on the subject areas.
VENUE: Capetown, South Africa.
References
[1]Mora, G., The Need for Geologists in Sustainable Development, GSA Today Vol. 23, Issue 12, 2013.
[2] Stewart, I., Sustainable Geoscience, Nature Geoscience, 9 262 (2016).https://www.nature.com/articles/ngeo2678
[3] Jackson, C., How Geology Can Steer Us to a More Sustainable Future, New Scientist, December 9, 2020.
[4] Di Capua, D., Bobrowsky, P., Peppoloni, S., The International Association for the Promotion of Geo-ethics: Update on activities, EGU assembly, 2016. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303445083_International_Association_for_Promoting_Geoethics_IAPG_an_update_on_activities
[5] Stewart, I., op. cit.
[6] Jackson, C., op. cit.
[7] International Union of Geological Sciences, Geoscience and Sustainable Development -Learning resources to help integrate sustainability concepts and skills into geoscience teaching in higher education, Geology for Global Development (v.1.0), September 2020.
*Board of the Society of African Earth Scientists: Dr Enas Ahmed (Egypt), Osmin Callis (Secretary - Guyana/Nigeria), Mathada Humphrey (South Africa), Ndivhuwo Cecilia Mukosi (South Africa), Damola Nadi (Nigeria), Dr Chukwunyere Kamalu (Chair - Nigeria).
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