35th IGC - International Geological Congress
International Convention Centre, Cape Town (South Africa)
27 August - 4 September 2016
The most important scientific event of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS)
THE IAPG PROPOSES TWO SYMPOSIA:
Geoethics: general aspects and case-studies
Convenership: Giuseppe Di Capua, Peter Bobrowsky, Martin Bohle, John Geissman, Silvia Peppoloni
Geoethical perspectives on meeting the resource needs of future generations
Convenership: Silvia Peppoloni (IAPG), Nic Bilham (GSL), Vitor Correia (EFG), Luca Demicheli (EGS)
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
(Deadline: 31 January 2016)
Information on how to submit an abstract in the IGC website
Geoethics: general aspects and case-studies
Convenership: Giuseppe Di Capua, Peter Bobrowsky, Martin Bohle, John Geissman, Silvia Peppoloni
(Theme: Global Geoscience Professionalism and Geoethics)
Symposium description: Geoethics consists of research and reflection on the values that underpin appropriate behaviours and practices, wherever human activities interact with the geosphere. Geoethics deals with the ethical, social and cultural implications of Geosciences education, research and practice and with the responsibility of geoscientists in conducting their professional activities.
Geoscientists play a fundamental role in society, given their unique range of skills, by helping to meet human needs and address problems of relevance at the local and global scale, and by providing information and expert advice to support informed decision-making and public debate.
Geoscientific discourse is increasingly addressing ethical and social problems related to land management; environmentally sustainable supplies of energy and geo-resources; pollution reduction and its impacts on health and the climate; risk mitigation and communication; geoeducational strategies; research integrity and professional deontology; relationships among geoscientists, politicians, the mass media and the public; and the value of geodiversity, geoheritage and geoparks.
Geoscientists with greater awareness of their ethical responsibilities will be better able to put their knowledge at the disposal of society, by spreading the value of geosciences, especially among the young.
The conveners invite abstracts on both practical and theoretical aspects of Geoethics, including case studies. The aim of the session is to develop ethical and social perspectives on the challenges arising from human interaction with natural systems, to complement technical approaches and solutions, and to help to define an ethical framework for geoscientists' activities.
The symposium is proposed by the IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics.
Geoethical perspectives on meeting the resource needs of future generations
Convenership: Silvia Peppoloni, Nic Bilham, Vitor Correia, Luca Demicheli
(Theme: Resourcing Future Generations)
This session is a joint initiative IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics, GSL - Geological Society of London, EFG - European Federation of Geologists and EGS - EuroGeoSurveys.
Symposium description: Meeting the resource needs of future generations is one of the greatest challenges facing global society – one in which geoscientists have a vital role to play. Adequate supplies of food and water must be secured, and health and education assured for all. Moreover, developing countries rightly expect to achieve similar increases in their citizens' standards of living to those experienced by richer countries in the 20th century. These aspirations, and the industrial development which underpins them, will create unprecedented global demand for energy and natural resources, just as we understand more fully the impact of winning and using these resources on the environment.
The scientific and technical skills of geoscientists are essential in addressing the complex challenges of meeting these "georesource" needs sustainably. But their decisions and activities also have significant ethical implications affecting society and the environment, as they find themselves at the heart of debates about how to reconcile human and economic development with environmental protection and safeguarding the interests of future generations. Geoethics provides a valuable framework in which to consider the values on which we should base ethical professional behaviours, and how these should be put into practice, as we seek to locate the work of geoscientists in its wider social and ethical context.
The conveners invite papers addressing how geoethical perspectives can be brought to bear on the challenges of sustainably meeting future demand for georesources, including energy, groundwater and numerous mineral commodities.