Geoethics at 37th IGC 2024

37th IGC - International Geological Congress

Busan Exhibition and Convention Center

Busan (Republic of Korea)

25-31 August 2024

The most important scientific event of the

International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS)

The IAPG, the IUGS Commission on Geoethics, and the CIPSH Chair on Geoethics are pleased to announce the following events on geoethics at the 37th IGC:

Plenary Speech "The future of geosciences through the lens of geoethics"

Speaker

Silvia Peppoloni (Italy)

When

28 August 2024: 11:40-12:20

Where

Convention Hall 3F - 301 Grand Ballroom

Abstract

The increasing human impact on the Earth system is leading to an unprecedented ecological crisis at a planetary scale, recognized by science worldwide. Global warming, climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, represent together a multifaceted challenge, a global “polycrisis,” intertwining social, economic, political, and cultural factors with environmental concerns, and outlining a complex landscape for action.
Geosciences emerge as vital disciplines for understanding and managing the intricate interactions between humanity and the Earth system, offering pathways and providing essential insights to address this polycrisis. Through informing decision-making processes and guiding geo-environmental education across various levels, geosciences empower individuals to engage in discussions, influence outcomes, and implement solutions to socio-environmental issues on local, regional, national, and global scales.
However, the effectiveness of geosciences in addressing societal challenges depends on geoscientists’ awareness of the ethical, social, and cultural implications of their work. Acknowledging the historical contributions of geoscientists to unsustainable and contestable practices in the past is the first step to gain public trust, advocate for knowledge-based societies, and urge governments to adopt measures for mitigating climate change, and adapting to environmental shifts.
Geoscientists possess the indispensable knowledge and the right intellectual and material tools to comprehend and manage Earth’s processes. They know the meaning of concepts, such as planetary boundaries, tipping points, carrying capacity of ecological systems, that are essential to address the polycrisis and to shift the way in which human communities manage their land, resources, and natural heritage, even going so far as to influence common perceptions of the natural world. For these reasons, they have the ethical duty to actively engage as agents of social change. By transparently sharing knowledge within the scientific community and effectively and properly communicating findings to the public, geoscientists fulfill their responsibility to guide political decisions and inform and educate society, contributing to the construction of a more ecologically sustainable and just world.
At the core of this endeavor lies geoethics, emphasizing the ethical responsibility of geoscientists towards themselves, colleagues, society in all its components, including future generations, and the Earth system. Geoethics guides geoscientists in navigating the complex socio-ecological landscape of our time, by urging them to respect scientific rigor and pursue the public good in their work. Geoscientists are called upon to address particularly delicate issues which concern the responsible use of mineral resources, water and energy, the relationship with decision-makers and various stakeholders in the defense against natural risks, the application of geoscientific knowledge in sustainable management of the territory, in the pursuit of citizens’ health, in the protection of the biosphere. Furthermore, geoscientists should ponder and collaborate to address other sensitive issues, such as deep-sea mining, the use of geoengineering, and the applications of artificial intelligence.
The geoethical perspective radically reshapes the ethical, social, and cultural meaning of the geosciences, by redefining their objectives towards the pursuit of well-being while respecting ecosystems.

Session "Geoethics at the heart of all geoscience: serving the public good"

Chaired by

Silvia Peppoloni (Italy), Vitor Correia (Portugal), Giuseppe Di Capua (Italy)

When

Orals - 27 August 2024: 8:00-11:00

Posters - 27 August 2024: 8:00-18:00

Where

- Orals: Convention Hall 2F - C205

- Posters: Exhibition Hall 1F

Short description

Geoscience knowledge and practice are essential for the functioning of modern societies, in particular for dealing with the global anthropogenic changes of our times. However, how can geosciences serve society? Which societal role can geoscientists play? How should the geoscience-policy interface be managed? How much is ethics important in guiding geoscience decisions and solutions? These are only some of the fundamental questions that modern geoscientists, who are aware of the ethical and societal implications of their profession, should ponder. The session aims to provide food for thought and create connections between scholars, in order to build a genuine geoscience community, open to cross-fertilization with other scientific and humanities communities. The session is co-sponsored by International Association for Promoting Geoethics (https://www.geoethics.org) and International Union of Geological Sciences (https://www.iugs.org).

Programme (date, hour, title, presenting author)

Orals (27 August 2024)

08:00 ~ 08:15: Bridging Continents: Building Environmental Awareness and Sustainability with geoscience communication through EuroGeoSurveys’ PanAfGeo and GSEU projects (Patrick Wall).
08:15 ~ 08:30: Regulating Geoscience in a Diverse Federation of Independent Regulators – The Canadian Example (Mark Priddle).
08:30 ~ 08:45: Bias in accepting diversity of interpretation in Earth Sciences – historical perspectives and modern challenges (Rob Butler).
08:45 ~ 09:00: Responsible Earth/Geosciences and Planetary-Scale Anthropogenic Change (Giuseppe Di Capua).
09:00 ~ 09:15: A call for establishing the IAPG Australia Section for promoting sustainable geoscience practices (Sandra Villacorta Chambi).
09:15 ~ 09:30: Geological and Natural Inheritance of Uzbekistan: Research and Conservation of Wealth (Ziyoda Akhmedova).
09:30 ~ 09:45: Geotourism and geoethics as support for rural development in the Sundarbans Wetlands - a Ramsar site of West Bengal, India (Sayani Khan).
09:45 ~ 10:00: Break
10:00 ~ 10:15: Ethical Solutions: Climate Intervention Research, Experimentation, and Potential Deployment (Mark Shimamoto).
10:15 ~ 10:30: Operational ethics for researching geohazards (Ilan Kelman).
10:30 ~ 10:45: Towards Integrating Indigeneity and Geoethical Practice – Case Studies from Aotearoa New Zealand (Matthew Hughes).
10:45 ~ 11:00: An infrastructure designed for the research and global promotion of geoethics (Giuseppe Di Capua).
11:00 ~ 11:15: Geoscience Across Borders: Leveraging Geoscience Diplomacy for International Cooperation (Munira Raji).
11:15 ~ 11:30: Ethical Frontiers and Legal Landscapes: The ethics of geoengineering the Moon, Mars and other celestial bodies (Dov Greenbaum).
11:30 ~ 11:45: Synthetic Seas: Ethical, Legal, and Social Dimensions of Genetically Engineered Phytoplankton for Climate Mitigation Contrast with Ocean Iron Fertilization (Dov Greenbaum).

Posters (27 August 2024)

Fossils, museums and ethics – from site based conservation to institutional acquisition (Kevin Neil Page).
Science of Geoethics: Challenges and Opportunities (Devesh Walia).
Geological Surveys, Mining Industry Cycle and Government management! Sustainable development or conflict in national interests! (Shirin Safavi).

Download all the abstracts for this session

Report on activities by the IUGS Commission on Geoethics

Speaker

Giuseppe Di Capua (Italy)

When

28 August 2024: afternoon (around 14:30)

Where

Convention Hall 2F - Room 205

Short description

2023-2024 activity report of the Commission on Geoethics of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) at the Fifth Ordinary Session of the IUGS-IGC Council.

IAPG General Assembly

Conveners

Silvia Peppoloni (Italy), Giuseppe Di Capua (Italy)

When

30 August 2024: 10:00-12:00

Where

Busan Youth Hostel Arpina - Nuri Hall

Short description

2nd General Assembly of the International Association for Promoting Geoethics (IAPG).

Agenda

https://www.geoethics.org/post/2nd-general-assembly-of-the-iapg-busan-30-august-2024