The issue #3 - 2019 
of the IAPG Newsletter is out!

The issue #3 - 2019 of the Newsletter of the IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics has been released on 26 August 2019.

Summary:

• School on Geoethics and Natural Issues (Schola de Geoethica…)
• New video: Geoethical issues and geoethical dilemmas
• Geoethics at the 36th IGC (Call for Abstracts)
• International Congress “Geoethics & Groundwater Management” (Call for Abstracts)
• New article: Dimension stone industry should meet the fundamental values of geoethics
• New article: The ‘Anthropocene Proposal’: A Possible Quandary and A Work-Around
• Session sponsored by the IAPG at the 5th YES Network Congress
• International Geoethics Day 2019
• Donations

Download the IAPG Newsletter #3 - 2019 at: 

http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/5195a5_1fb2aa1457e14335ac50d6b035f2ab6b.pdf


Kindly, share this post and/or forward the IAPG Newsletter #3 - 2019 to your colleagues. Thank you!

IAPG Newsletter archive: 
http://www.geoethics.org/newsletter

IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics: 
http://www.geoethics.org

IAPG at the Italian Bioethics Festival 2019

Villa Durazzo, Santa Margherita Ligure (Genova - Italy), 29-30 August 2019.

Silvia Peppoloni (IAPG Secretary General and Coordinator of IAPG-Italy) is invited as panelist at the 3rd edition of the Italian Bioethics Festival.
Title of her contribution: L'uomo è una "forza geologica" (Man is a "geological force").

Website (in Italian):
https://www.bioeticafestival.it/index.php/il-festival-2019/relatori-e-relatrici

Download the leaflet (in Italian):
https://www.bioeticafestival.it/images/2019/depliant_programma2019.pdf

Interview to Silvia Peppoloni (in Italian):
http://www.noidonne.org/articoli/silvia-peppoloni-la-geoetica-e-il-valore-del-territorio.php


Abstract of Silvia's contribution (in Italian):
L’uomo è una "forza geologica" in grado di modificare l’ambiente, cambiare le sue dinamiche, indurre trasformazioni nel sottosuolo, nell’atmosfera, negli oceani. Proprio in virtù di questa sua prerogativa ha una responsabilità etica verso se stesso, l’ambiente di cui è parte e le future generazioni. Ma fino a che punto ne è consapevole? Oggi siamo posti di fronte a sfide cruciali e il modo in cui le affronteremo condizionerà il nostro futuro. Ma è possibile conciliare lo sviluppo industriale col rispetto del territorio, l’aumento della popolazione e della richiesta di energia con la protezione degli ecosistemi, la riduzione del consumo di suolo e l’attenta gestione delle acque? La Terra è la nostra unica casa e il rispetto degli equilibri naturali tra i diversi sistemi che la costituiscono è imprescindibile per la stessa sopravvivenza degli esseri umani. La geoetica nasce e si sviluppa con l’intento di individuare i criteri etici che possono guidare la nostra interazione con la Terra, e di contribuire a realizzare quelle azioni in grado di garantire un equilibrio tra la conservazione dell’abitabilità del pianeta e lo sviluppo economico delle nostre società. Tra i suoi obiettivi, vi è la promozione del patrimonio geoambientale e della bio e geodiversità come valori culturali, educativi e identitari per sviluppare in tutti consapevolezza e senso di responsabilità nel modo di relazionarsi all’ambiente naturale e alla vita che esso ospita.

IAPG events: 
http://www.geoethics.org/events

IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics: 
http://www.geoethics.org

Geoethics at the MCC Conference

Berlin (Germany), 16-18 September 2019.

Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change.

Conference on Ethics & Values in Assessments: "Divergent values in sustainability assessments: love them, leave them, or change them?".

Martin Bohle (IAPG Board of Expert) will be the IAPG representative at the MCC Conference and speaker with a contribution entitled "Geoethics in / for Human Niche".

Website: https://www.mcc-berlin.net/en/valuesconference.html


Download slides (pdf file) by Martin Bohle:
http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/5195a5_0562c439f41a490a91a01833e4f09a36.pdf

Bohle's article about his MCC's contribution, published in the IAPG blog:
https://iapgeoethics.blogspot.com/2019/08/geoethics-antidote-in-wicked-human.html

IAPG events: 
http://www.geoethics.org/events

IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics: 
http://www.geoethics.org

Geoethical Issues and Geoethical Dilemmas

A video released by the European Project GOAL

Silvia Peppoloni, research geologist at the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Secretary General of the IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics, introduces the audience to the concepts of geoethical issues and dilemmas.

The video is part of the Intellectual Outputs (IO1) of the European Erasmus+ project GOAL "Geoethics Outcomes and Awareness Learning" (https://goal-erasmus.eu/). IAPG is official partner of the project GOAL.

Here the link to the video: https://youtu.be/gZ8Y56-yrDM

Other videos on geoethics in the IAPG YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/iapgeoethics/

IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics:

http://www.geoethics.org

Geoethics, an Antidote in a Wicked 'Human Niche'?

(by Martin Bohle, Ronin Institute and IAPG Board of Experts)

doi: 10.13140/RG.2.2.32597.78564 

Martin Bohle

Geoethics intends to shape human behaviour ‘wherever human activities interact with the Earth system [*]’. Considering that ambition, geoethics should render human activities a more effective and efficient feature of the Earth system. Such an ambition requires to analyse the function of ‘geoethical thinking’ from the perspective of system dynamics.

It sounds like a buzzword, ‘wicked’. Nevertheless, it describes how human agents may perceive the dynamics of complex-adaptive social-ecological systems that make-up the ‘human niche’. People are an intrinsic part of social-ecological systems. Examples of ‘wicked’ system behaviour are emergent properties, that is, outcomes of complex-adaptive systems that are more than the sum of their parts.

In times of anthropogenic global change, the Earth system emerges as a planetary network of social-ecological systems. Global supply-chains and hegemonic systems of cultural values interconnect them, and, subsequently, the geosphere, biosphere and technosphere amalgamate into the planetary ‘human niche’, blending into the Earth system dynamics also individual and collective human behaviour. 

The technosphere is more than the technological ‘hardware’ of infrastructures, production system and consumption patterns that humankind has built. Human behaviour is the ‚software’ of the technosphere. Human behaviour is encompassing attitudes and actions of individuals as well as the functioning of governance systems of many scales and designs. Human behaviour is an essential feature of the technosphere because it determines what design-features the ‘hardware’ exhibits and how it is deployed and used (‘software’).

Underpinning the human behaviour are individual and social sense-making processes. These processes exhibit rational and affective features; the latter also expressing social and emotional belongingness of the agent. The objects of the sense-making processes are natural and artificial environments, groups and individual human beings, and the individual or collective sense-making agent self. The different perceptions that result from the various sense-making processes show variable, agent-depending biases. Irrespectively, in what manner the perceptions may be shaped or prejudiced, the sense-making processes feed into actions of individuals, groups or institutions. The action, in turn, targets to modulate either natural and people-made environments or human behaviour. It is done by deploying technological ‘hardware’ and economic, social and political processes (‘software’), respectively. Consecutive acts of ‘sense-making and acting’ set a feedback loop within the Earth system.

The kind of a given feedback loop, either negative (that is, damping) or positive (that is, enforcing) as well as its relative strength determines how it may shape system dynamics. The feedback loops that humans exercise in Earth systems through the design of the technosphere is a noticeable key-feature of the human niche in times of anthropogenic global change. Shaping these feedback loops is a governance / cultural task that is exercised, for example, through specifying the design features of the technology, how to deploy and use it, or what are values and world-views that guide the design and use. 
Complex-adaptive systems challenge the capability of human agents to make sense of system behaviour and to act appropriately. The challenge arises, for example, because complex adaptive systems may change simultaneously at various scales, coupled with cascading cause-effects relations and constraining path-dependencies. Therefore, complex-adaptive system dynamics dwarf blue-print-like problem handling. A blue-print-like problem handling is adapted to the so-called ‘tame’ systems (opposed to what is called ‘wicked’ systems). Problem handling of ‘wickedness’ must be adaptive, participative and explorative, as experience shows. Subsequently, the issue arises how to empower human agents to act, in the absence of ‘blueprints’, in an appropriate manner across the system and in a reasonably coordinated manner.

Complex-adaptive system behaviour may arise, in a first instance, from non-linear processes and positive feedback loops within the natural environments that humans did not perturb. That is, complex-adaptive system behaviour may be a feature of pristine natural systems. In the second instance, technological systems can exhibit complex-adaptive system behaviour because of in-built non-linear processes and positive feedback loops. Subsequently, intersections of the natural and technological system can exhibit non-linearity and positive feedbacks at the interfaces. Finally, and in the third instance, as technological systems are built, deployed and altered ‘with a purpose in mind’ the iterations of human ‘sense-making and acting’ are an explicit feedback process. Complex-adaptive system behaviour may arise because of the feedback loop of ‘human sense-making and acting’ that occurs in the social sphere.

Complex-adaptive systems bind human agents in a struggle for control, for mastering circumstances, or for reacting appropriately. Often different agents are not aware of each other, act non-coordinated, or react to effects of other-agents’ actions. Under such circumstance, the notion ‘wickedness’ may reflect appropriately their perceptions of their operation within complex-adaptive system, for example, when facing issues like anthropogenic pressure, environmental and technological risks or multi-level governance. This generic circumstance calls for enforcing capability that enables human agents to face ‘wickedness’ (of geo-systems). To that end, effective capability building must focus on ‘human sense-making and acting’, what, in turn, brings geoethics into the play.

The key-features of geoethics, namely ‘actor-centric, virtue-ethics focused, responsibility focused, knowledge-based, context-dependence’ should be made key-enablers. Taking a systems-perspective, it results because geoethical thinking is about sense-making and acting, that geoethical thinking intervenes directly in the feedback process of ‘sense-making and acting’. Because geoethical thinking is knowledge-based, the interventions of the actors are nourished by insights into the system behaviour (of natural, technological and human systems). As geoethical thinking is concerned about social and political contexts, the actors should be able to intervene in a value-sensitive and culture-conscious manner.

[*] Peppoloni, S. (2018). Spreading geoethics through the languages of the world. Translations of the Cape Town Statement on Geoethics. International Association for Promoting Geoethics. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/2122/11907

p.s.: This essay is a stump for a scientific article that is in the making. It draws on various talks given during the last year. The test is shared to invite comments. Please refer to the author when using it.

References

Bohle, M., Di Capua, G., Peppoloni, S., Bilham, N., Marone, E., & Preiser, R. (2019). Exploring Geoethics - Ethical Implications, Societal Contexts, and Professional Obligations of the Geosciences. (M. Bohle, Ed.). Cham: Springer International Publishing. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-12010-8.

Colding, J., & Barthel, S. (2019). Exploring the social-ecological systems discourse 20 years later. Ecology and Society, 24(1), art2. doi:10.5751/ES-10598-240102.

Innes, J.E., & Booher, D.E. (2016). Collaborative rationality as a strategy for working with wicked problems. Landscape and Urban Planning, 154, 8–10. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2016.03.016.

Jentoft, S., & Chuenpagdee, R. (2009). Fisheries and coastal governance as a wicked problem. Marine Policy, 33(4), 553–560. doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2008.12.002.

Kowarsch et al. (2016) Scientific assessments to facilitate deliberative policy learning. Palgrave Communications, 2, 16092 DOI: 10.1057/palcomms.2016.92.

Salvatore, S., Mannarini, T., Avdi, E., Battaglia, F., Cremaschi, M., Fini, V., … Veltri, G. A. (2018). Globalization, demand of sense and enemization of the other: A psychocultural analysis of European societies’ sociopolitical crisis. Culture and Psychology. doi:10.1177/1354067X18779056.

Schlüter, M. et al. (2019). Capturing emergent phenomena in social-ecological systems: an analytical framework. Ecology and Society, 24(3), art11. doi:10.5751/ES-11012-240311.

Termeer, C.J.A., Dewulf, A., & Biesbroek, R. (2019). A critical assessment of the wicked problem concept: relevance and usefulness for policy science and practice. Policy and Society, 38(2), 167–179. doi:10.1080/14494035.2019.1617971.

Download slides:
http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/5195a5_0562c439f41a490a91a01833e4f09a36.pdf

______________________________________________

IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics: 

http://www.geoethics.org

School on Geoethics and Natural Issues
(Schola de Geoethica et Naturae Quaestionibus)

We are proud to announce the launch of a new important initiative on geoethics.

On 20 July 2019, Peter T. Bobrowsky, Giuseppe Di Capua, and Silvia Peppoloni have founded the School on Geoethics and Natural Issues (Schola de Geoethica et Naturae Quaestionibus), in short the "Schola".

Dr. PhD Silvia Peppoloni is the Director of the "Schola".

Below some details:

Rationale 

The "Schola" is a place for teaching and learning of the principles and values of geoethics in the light of the philosophy and history of Earth sciences. The intent is to provide background knowledge and the evaluation skills necessary to understand the complex relationship between human action on ecosystems and the decisions geoscientists make in the discipline that impact society, including improving the awareness of professionals, students, decision-makers, media operators, and the public on an accountable and ecologically sustainable development. 
The "Schola" provides the opportunity to deepen reflection on the sense and social utility of geosciences, analyzing their rational categories, values, possible perspectives, uncertainties and cognitive limits, in order to understand how their modes of action can conform to a specific vision of reality and how that vision can in turn modify the interface of human action with natural reality. But the "Schola" is also a place to learn and develop more responsible strategies, operating procedures and practical actions, that are compatible with respect for socio-ecological systems, the vocation of the territories, including the health and safety of human communities.
​
Aim
The "Schola" aims to provide excellent education in geoethics, thus promoting the development of a scientific and critical attitude to the knowledge of the Earth and its constituent systems, by fostering a growth of awareness and responsibility towards the planet, education in the values and actions underlying a respect for ecosystems, including responsible use of resources, management of natural risks, reduction of pollution and its repercussions on human health and climate, adaptation to environmental changes, in view of an accountable and ecologically sustainable development.
​
Description
The "Schola" conforms to the Geoethical Promise and the Cape Town Statement on Geoethics adopted as programmatic and constitutive documents to promote a cultural renewal aimed at favoring ecological humanism.
The "Schola" is a scientific, international, multicultural and multidisciplinary meeting place for research and training on geoethics and the philosophy of Earth sciences.
The "Schola" guarantees quality training, in a continuous and constant process of scientific and professional improvement and updating.
In the pursuit of its objectives, the "Schola" relies on experts from different disciplinary fields, using all the traditional didactic tools to which are added innovative methods that favor the formation of geoethical thinking and stimulate an analytical and critical attitude to understanding of socio-ecological complexity.
​
To whom it is addressed
The "Schola" is aimed at all those who want to improve their scientific knowledge on the Earth system and to understand the social role geosciences can play in identifying new ways of relating to the planet and the living forms that it hosts. The courses are addressed to different categories of users: they can be useful to both secondary school students and university undergraduate/graduate students in disciplines that deal with the environment from different perspectives (planning, naturalist, geo-biological, landscape, architectural, legislative, educational, cultural and relative to communication). Scholars of the phenomena and processes of the planet (researchers, academics, scientists), as well as those who physically operate in the territories (various types of professionals, geologists, engineers, landscape architects, risk experts, media operators, decision-makers) can find valid support to their scientific and professional preparation in the courses. Finally, the "Schola" is also aimed at the general public and others, including non-experts, who are interested in better understanding the bond that links human communities to ecosystems, within the perspective of responsible development.

Website of the "Schola": http://www.geoethics.org/geoethics-school

_____________________________________________
IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics 

http://www.geoethics.org

Session sponsored by the IAPG
at the 5th YES Network Congress

Freie Universität Berlin (Germany), 9-13 September, 2019

​Session 3.6: Geoparks and geotourism for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Time:  Thursday, 12 September 2019:  12:45pm - 1:45pm (Part 1); 2:15pm - 3:15pm (Part 2)

Location: Hall D

Session Chairs: Jean-Robert Nshokano Mweze (IAPG-DR Congo coordinator) and Kambale Kavyavu Wisdom Wiseman

IAPG sponsors this session.

Programme of the session:

Part 1

Urbanism of African Cities and the Destruction of Geosites and Geomorphosites, Case of the City of Goma / DRC
(Kambale Kavyavu Wisdom Wiseman(1), Malaika Gakuru Ange(2) - (1)UCNDK/ DRC, Geology department; (2)Université de Goma, Geology department)

Geotourism: Kairouan's Current Prospects for Sustainable Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation
(Intissar Farid - Association of protection of Nature and Environment of Kairouan)

The exceptional Geoheritage, Geopark and Geotourism potential of the Cenozoic Successions of Western Kutch, India
(Shubhendu Shekhar, Pramod Kumar - University of Delhi, India)


Part 2

Assessment of capabilities and geomorphic tourist priorities of Lorestan Province
(Reza Nafari, Elham hydari, Fariba Kazempour - Azad University, Iran)

Reflection on the challenges of development and diversity of natural resources of DR Congo: How to reduce Paradoxes between evaluated potentialities and real poverty
(Jean-Robert Nshokano Mweze(1), Miireille Muhigwa(2) - (1)Université Paris 8, France; (2)StrongWomen DR Congo)

Mineralogical Heritage of M'goun Geoparc Valorization and Exploitation
(Salma Aboutofail(1), Mohammed Boutakiout(2), Abdelmalek Ouadjou(3) - (1)Faculty of Science, Université Mohammed V, Rabat, Morocco; (2)Faculty of Science, Rabat, Morocco; (3) Engineer at the Operations Department, Groupe Managem, Marrakech, Morocco)

Potential Geoparks and Geotourism as a Tool for Regional Sustainable Development of Egypt
(Enas Abd Elhady Ahmed - Matrouh University, Egypt; UGGPC member)

IAPG events: 
http://www.geoethics.org/events

IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics: 
http://www.geoethics.org

a new paper just published (free access):

Dimension stone industry should meet the fundamental values of geoethics

(by Nicola Careddu, Giuseppe Di Capua, and Giampaolo Siotto)

Abstract
The term “Dimension Stone” refers to natural stone that has been quarried, selected and processed into specific sizes or shapes, with or without one or more mechanically dressed or finished surfaces, for use as building facing, curbing, paving stone, monuments and memorials, and various industrial products. The dimension stone industry is currently increasing the volume of its activities: based on a prudent medium-term development forecast, the net product could reach one hundred million tons in 2020. For this reason, geoscientists and stakeholders need to reason about methods and technologies in the dimension stone sector and how to operate responsibly and sustainably in accordance with the following geoethical values. After a definition of geoethics and an overview of the dimension stone industry, the paper focuses on fundamental values of geoethics as stated in the Cape Town Statement on Geoethics. More precisely, geoethical values have been referred to real and practical cases of dimension stone subsectors, by presenting some examples recorded in Sardinia (Italy). This region has a long history of production of ornamental stones. Finally, tips and suggestions on how geoscientists (in particular geologists and mining engineers) can help the dimension stone sector in a geoethical way, i.e., responsibly and sustainably are herein offered.

Keywords

Geoethics; Dimension stone; Quarrying; Natural resources; Sustainability;

Geoheritage; Geo-education

How to cite
Careddu N., Di Capua G., Siotto G. (2019). Dimension stone industry should meet the fundamental values of geoethics. Resources Policy, 63, 101468; doi: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2019.101468.

Download this paper
https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1ZZFk14YFwvktR


Publications on geoethics
http://www.geoethics.org/publications

_____________________________________________
IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics 

http://www.geoethics.org

The issue #2 - 2019 
of the IAPG Newsletter is out!

The issue #2 - 2019 of the Newsletter of the IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics has been released on 6 August 2019.

Summary:

• Geoethics at the 36th IGC (Call for Abstracts)
• International Congress “Geoethics & Groundwater Management” (Call for Abstracts)
• VIDEO: Geoethics and responsible use of geo-resources
• VIDEO: Geoethical issues in prediction and prevention of potentially catastrophic natural events
• Geoethics Medal 2019: Linda Gundersen awarded in the 2019 edition
• SpringerBriefs in Geoethics: A new IAPG editorial initiative
• New coordinators of IAPG national sections
• IAPG and IAG signed a MoU in Vienna
• IAPG and BDG signed a MoA
• BOOK: Exploring Geoethics
• BOOK: Tailings Dam Management for the Twenty-First Century
• International Geoethics Day 2019
• Donations

Download the IAPG Newsletter #2 - 2019 at: 

http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/5195a5_a4c3e12bc7734547a0ccd0f1eb72c38f.pdf


Kindly, share this post and/or forward the IAPG Newsletter #2 - 2019 to your colleagues. Thank you!

IAPG Newsletter archive: 
http://www.geoethics.org/newsletter

IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics: 
http://www.geoethics.org