ANGE and IAPG sign a MoA

ANGE - African Network for Geo-Education and IAPG - International Association for Promoting ‪Geoethics‬ have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on 19 February 2015.

The objective of the MoA is to bring the two organizations together to raise the awareness in African geoscientists to the importance of giving due attention to Geoeducational and ethical aspects and issues during their professional activities.

The agreement expresses a mutual desire to cooperate on a range of issues in the field of geoethics and geosciences education, in particular, the following affairs:

• promoting principles of geoethics and research integrity in geosciences through their networks;
• highlighting the importance of geoscience education inside the scientific community;
• fostering geoscience education internationally at all levels;
• promoting the debate and working for the enhancement of quality in the international provision of geoscience education;
• encouraging developments that raise public awareness of geoscience, particularly amongst younger people;
• coorganising scientific and dissemination events on geoethics and geoscience education; 
• identifying possibilities to apply for funding for the development of common projects on geoethics and geoscience education.

We remind you that on December 2014 IAPG has signed an another MoA with EFG - European Federation of Geologists: 
http://www.iapg.geoethics.org/evidence/federation

The IAPG section of Portugal

We welcome the IAPG section of Portugal. 

The section will work under the responsibility of Clara Maria da Silva de Vasconcelos (Department of Geoscience, Environment and Spatial Landing, University of Oporto, Porto) and António José Correia de Almeida (Escola Superior de Educação de Lisboa, Campus de Benfica do IPL, Lisboa).

Clara Vasconcelos

António Almeida

Other IAPG national sections: http://www.iapg.geoethics.org/organization/na

Ciro Manzo
new Corresponding Citizen Scientist (CCS) of the IAPG

The IAPG is creating a list of experts (the "Corresponding Citizen Scientist" - CCS) on specific issues related to geoethics. From January 2015, Ciro Manzo is our new CCS on "Geoethics and young geoscientists".
Ciro is a geologist born in 1984 in Pompeii, near Naples (Italy), at the feet of Mt. Vesuvio. He was graduated in Applied Geology in 2008 and in 2011 he achieved the PhD title in Environmental Science at the Centre for Geotechnologies (CGT), University of Siena. His main research activities focus on the support of GIS and Remote Sensing for geo-environmental analysis in natural and anthropic areas. He is Post-Doc researcher at Institute for Atmospheric Pollution Research – CNR as expert of Remote Sensing. Since 2009 he is member of Young Earth Scientists (YES) Network and currently he serves as Vice-President in the Executive Committee. He was involved in the organizing committee of national and international events  (3rd YES Congress, in Africa; the 2nd Italian Geological Society – Young Section, in Italy). Since 2010 he was lecturer of remote sensing at Master Courses of the University of Siena and at other regional courses.

Read more about the IAPG CCSs:
http://www.iapg.geoethics.org/organization/corr

Nic Bilham
new Corresponding Citizen Scientist (CCS) of the IAPG

The IAPG is creating a list of experts (the "Corresponding Citizen Scientist" - CCS) on specific issues related to geoethics. From January 2015, Nic Bilham is our new CCS on "Geoscience communication".
Nic has worked at the Geological Society, the UK’s learned and professional society for geoscientists, since 1997. He now leads delivery of its policy, education, media and wider communications activities.  He also works with the Society’s Council and senior staff to coordinate strategic planning and reporting. He graduated from the University of Cambridge with a BA in History and Philosophy of Science, and he holds an MSc in Science and Technology Policy from the University of Sussex. His research interests include debates around the roles scientists can and should play in policy-making; and the effective integration of specialist, stakeholder and public inputs to multi-disciplinary policy challenges such as radioactive waste management.

Read more about the IAPG CCSs:
http://www.iapg.geoethics.org/organization/corr

Madhumita Das
new Corresponding Citizen Scientist (CCS) of the IAPG

The IAPG is creating a list of experts (the "Corresponding Citizen Scientist" - CCS) on specific issues related to geoethics. From January 2015, Prof. Madhumita Das is our new CCS on "Geoethical aspects in low income countries".
Prof. Madhumita Das works at the Department of Geology of the Utkal University (India). She has a specialisation in igneous petrology, environmental geology and disaster management. Her special interest are is in popularising geoscience and gender studies. She has 34 years of academic experience, joined as a Lecturer in Geology in 1980 in Utkal Universty, and continuing as a Professor since 2003. She has carried out research under Indo-German Exchange Programme at Heidelberg University in Germany (1989-90). She is member of the National Working Group, in the IGCP (International Geological Correlation Programme)-597, and member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Sustainable Planet. She has also 30 years of research experience and she was involved in projects in India on the Thermal Springs of Orissa; Geology of Eastern Ghats; Genesis of Ultrabasic rocks; Impact of Manganese Mining on health of female mine workers; Mineralogy, geochemistry and petrogenesis of pyrophyllite deposits of Keonjhar District, Orissa. She attended many seminars and presented papers as University delegate in Japan, China, United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Portugal, Norway, Australia and India.

Read more about the IAPG CCSs:
http://www.iapg.geoethics.org/organization/corr

LAST CALL for abstracts

Session 6358

How do we build a healthy geoscience community 
that better serves society?

at the next AGU-GAC-MAC-CGU Joint Assembly 2015 in Montreal.

Anne-Marie Ryan (IAPG-Canada) and Vince Cronin (IAPG-USA) invite and encourage you to contribute an abstract to the session entitled "How do we build a healthy geoscience community that better serves society?". 


This session will be held at the AGU-GAC-MAC-CGU Joint Assembly in Montréal, Canada, May 3-7, 2015. The abstract deadline is January 14.

Session description
It goes without saying that we geoscientists would like to think of ourselves as competent scientists and paragons of personal and professional ethics. Perhaps "it goes without saying" because that self-image is not always accurate. Society faces critical challenges related to water, hazards, energy, mineral resources, and environmental change that require an informed public and reliable geoscience expertise. Is society getting what it needs from geoscientists in terms of education, objective information, and useful, informed opinions that are scientifically valid? We want to host a conversation about what we should expect from ourselves and from each other within the geosciences community, and about what society should be able to expect from us. A broad spectrum including research results, case studies in geoethics, educational strategies, and discussion of societal geoscience-related needs and issues, are all welcome in this session.

This session is organized by the IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics.

Information about the session and for submitting an abstract can be found at:
https://agu.confex.com/agu/ja2015/webprogrampreliminary/Session6358.html.

LAST CALL for abstracts

Session EOS8

Geoethics for Society: 
general aspects and case studies in geosciences

at the next EGU General Assembly 2015 in Vienna.

This is the last call for abstracts for the Session EOS8 "Geoethics for Society: general aspects and case studies in geosciences" at the next EGU 2015 in Vienna.

More information in the leafleat below or at:
http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2015/session/19081

This session is exempted by the payment of the EGU abstract processing charge (APC).

The EGU General Assembly will take place from 12 to 17 April 2015 in Vienna (Austria).

EFG and IAPG sign a MoA

The European Federation of Geologists (EFG) and the International Association for Promoting Geoethics (IAPG) have signed on 12 December 2014 a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to collaborate on issues of common interest.
EFG and IAPG shall collaborate in defining ethical problems, also through case-studies, affecting professional geologists, and in promoting geoethical principles and best practices in geosciences among their networks.

EFG (http://eurogeologists.eu/) is a federation of professional geoscience societies and associations in Europe whose main objectives are to: represent the geological profession in Europe; safeguard and promote the interests of the geological profession in Europe (and elsewhere in the World); promote best technical, scientific and ethical practice in the application of geology generally; and promote responsible use of the Earth’s resources and sustainable use of land. It currently has 23 National Association members. 

More information at:
http://www.iapg.geoethics.org/evidence/federation

How do we build a healthy geoscience community 
that better serves society?

The IAPG at the AGU-GAC-MAC-CGU Joint Assembly 2015

Vince Cronin and Anne-Marie Ryan

Anne-Marie Ryan (IAPG-Canada) and Vince Cronin (IAPG-USA) invite and encourage you to contribute an abstract to the session entitled "How do we build a healthy geoscience community that better serves society?" 

This session will be held at the AGU-GAC-MAC-CGU Joint Assembly in Montréal, Canada, May 3-7, 2015. The abstract deadline is January 14.

Information about the session can be found at:
https://agu.confex.com/agu/ja2015/webprogrampreliminary/Session6358.html

Session 6358 description

Montreal view

It goes without saying that we geoscientists would like to think of ourselves as competent scientists and paragons of personal and professional ethics. Perhaps "it goes without saying" because that self-image is not always accurate. Society faces critical challenges related to water, hazards, energy, mineral resources, and environmental change that require an informed public and reliable geoscience expertise. Is society getting what it needs from geoscientists in terms of education, objective information, and useful, informed opinions that are scientifically valid? We want to host a conversation about what we should expect from ourselves and from each other within the geosciences community, and about what society should be able to expect from us. A broad spectrum including research results, case studies in geoethics, educational strategies, and discussion of societal geoscience-related needs and issues, are all welcome in this session.

The description for this session is intentionally broad, so that we can encompass topics ranging from our responsibilities as geoscientists with respect to our planet and its inhabitants (of all species), all the way to ethical aspects of geosciences in school, businesses, law, politics, land-use planning, and so on. Whatever your interest or concern that relates to the geosciences and that has an ethical dimension to it, this is the forum in which to present your thoughts and engage in discussion.

The meeting is the Joint Assembly of the American Geophysical Union with several Canadian organizations, and will be held in lovely and historic Montreal, Canada, May 3-7. Please do not hesitate to contact Anne-Marie Ryan or Vince Cronin if you have any questions or suggestions for potential contributors who might not otherwise hear about our session.

Vince Cronin: Vince_Cronin@baylor.edu

Anne-Marie Ryan: Anne.Marie.Ryan@Dal.Ca

This session is organized by the IAPG-International Association for Promoting Geoethics (http://www.iapg.geoethics.org/evidence/joint)

We will be there!

The IAPG at the AGU Fall Meeting 2014

IAPG will attend the AGU Fall Meeting 2014 in San Francisco (USA) and will contribute mainly to the Poster Session ED23D: Teaching GeoEthics Across the Geoscience Curriculum (Tuesday, December 16, 2014): 
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/meetingapp.cgi#Session/2751.

The session is organized by the colleagues of the section IAPG-USA: David Mogk (Montana State University, USA) and John Geissman (University of Texas at Dallas, USA).

IAPG posters:

ED23D-3495 - Training in Geoethics: Shared Values in Serving Society
Giuseppe Di Capua and Silvia Peppoloni:
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/meetingapp.cgi#Paper/6773

ED23D-3496 - Geoethics and the Role of Professional Geoscience Societies
Susan Kieffer, John Palka, John Geissman, Dave Mogk 
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/meetingapp.cgi#Paper/10675

ED23D-3499 - A Collaborative Effort to Build a Modular Course on GeoEthics
Vincent Cronin, Giuseppe Di Capua, Cindy Palinkas, Catherine Pappas Maenz, Silvia Peppoloni, Anne-Marie Ryan
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/meetingapp.cgi#Paper/11864

ED23D-3501 - Teaching the Ethical Aspects of Environmental Science
Cindy M Palinkas
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/meetingapp.cgi#Paper/8531

Another IAPG poster will be presented in the Session ED31C: Solutions and Strategies for Fostering GeoEthics and Enhancing the Geosciences Section (Wednesday, December 17, 2014), convened by Britta Voss (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), Neesha Schnepf (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Gretchen Goldman (Union of Concerned Scientists), David Mogk (Montana State University, USA):
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/meetingapp.cgi#Session/3777

IAPG posters:

ED31C-3449 - Risk communication, geoethics and decision science issues in Japan’s disaster management system
Megumi Sugimoto
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/meetingapp.cgi#Paper/28561

This book is only a start

Max Wyss and Silvia Peppoloni

A positive aspect of promoting Geoethics is that one begins to scrutinize one's own actions a bit closer. We hope this is true for the 48 authors who wrote the 33 chapters with 417 pages on Geoethics (http://store.elsevier.com/Geoethics/isbn-9780127999357/). The spirit in which we assembled this book was to make ourselves, the authors, and the readers think a bit more about the hidden and overt ways in which we geoscientists fail to fulfill our duty to Earth and its population.

In case you should read this book on Geoethics, think about what is missing in it and make a plan on how to bring it to the community's attention. This book should be a start for many, hopefully more sophisticated and polished ones, to follow.


To openly discuss the heavy transgressions that experts sometimes commit in what should be a service to the public is not easy. First of all, one must stick to facts and use neutral language. Second, one has to be careful in wording that might seem like personal criticism so that one does not end up in court proceedings. We think that the authors of some of the more daring chapters were successful in avoiding personal confrontation and avoiding moralizing.

Silvia Peppoloni

The foundation for the discussion is laid by a section on Philosophical Reflections consisting of six chapters, by philosophers as well as geoscientists. In the section on Geoscience Community, three chapters outline how professional organizations are dealing with ethical problems and how plagiarism is on the rise. Some serious distortions of facts by experts are exposed in six chapters in the section on Ethics of Practice, which also contains one chapter advising first responders how to avoid offending religious feelings in the heat of coming to the rescue in disasters.

Communicating results, especially those relating to geo-hazards, implies many ethical and social aspects, as it was evident in the L'Aquila earthquake case, where an ongoing earthquake swarm led to a main shock that killed 309 people. The court trial that followed is discussed in one chapter and the distribution of responsibilities in the face of natural threats in Italy in another.

This section on Communicating contains four chapters critical of practices in seismology, and the potential of maps for misleading the consumer and the incomprehensibility of scientific jargon are discussed in a chapter each.

Max Wyss

In the section on Natural and Anthropogenic Hazards, four chapters address volcanic threats, earthquake prediction and the danger of tsunamis. Two chapters are devoted to the seemingly unsolvable problem of nuclear waste disposal. The demonstration by Nature how dangerous the generation of nuclear power is, has lead to an awakening of mankind, who is beginning to realize the immeasurable foolishness of saddling our descendants with growing volumes of everlasting poison. It seems that there is still much waking up to be done concerning this problem and geoscientists ought to be able to contribute.

The disadvantage of Low Income and Indigenous Communities is discussed in the last section in three chapters on mining and one on earthquake risk. It is probably fair to say that more than 90% of geoscientists have never in their careers considered the needs and predicaments of these communities. The funding of research also suffers from the same bias: Sophisticated problems of intellectual interest, but no practical use, are funded, while those people who need help most and could benefit from geo-research are forgotten.

Many other aspects should be addressed: this book is only a start. We hope that many geoethical problems will be flushed out in more detail in future volumes.

________________________________________________________________________

Max Wyss and Silvia Peppoloni (Eds)
Geoethics, Ethical Challenges and Case Studies in Earth Sciences
2015, p. 450, Elsevier, ISBN 978-0127999357

Other information: http://www.iapg.geoethics.org/evidence/book

(picture from: https://mariodomina.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/germoglio.jpg)

"The time for a first book on Geoethics has come"

The IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics is proud to announce that this book has been just published:

Max Wyss and Silvia Peppoloni (Eds)
Geoethics, Ethical Challenges and Case Studies in Earth Sciences
2015, p. 450, Elsevier, ISBN 978-0127999357

From the publisher:

Max Wyss

Key Features

Written by a global group of contributors with backgrounds ranging from philosopher to geo-practitioner, providing a balance of voices.

Includes case studies, showing where experts have gone wrong and where key organizations have ignored facts, wanting assessments favorable to their agendas. 
Provides a much needed basis for discussion to guide scientists to consider their responsibilities and to improve communication with the public.

Silvia Peppoloni

Description

Edited by two experts in the area, Geoethics: Ethical Challenges and Case Studies in Earth Sciences addresses a range of topics surrounding the concept of ethics in geoscience, making it  an important reference for any Earth scientist with a growing concern for sustainable development  and social responsibility.

This book will provide the reader with some obvious and some hidden information you need for understanding where experts have not served the public, what more could have been done to reach  and serve the public and the ethical issues surrounding the Earth Sciences, from a global  perspective.

Table of contents

Section 1: INTRODUCTION

Section 2: PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTIONS

Section 3: THE ETHICS OF PRACTICE

Section 4: MAN MADE HAZARDS

Section 5: NATURAL HAZARDS

Section 6: EXPLOITATION OF RESOURCES

Section 7: LOW INCOME AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES

Section 8: GEOSCIENCE COMMUNITY

This book in the Elsevier website:

http://store.elsevier.com/Geoethics/isbn-9780127999357/

The L'Aquila earthquake case: a brief note

The L'Aquila trial has had a positive outcome for the six scientists involved.
Their acquittal is complete: the crime does not subsist (paragraph 1, Art. 530 of the Italian Criminal Code). So, the scientists have not committed crimes.

The IAPG has followed the L'Aquila earthquake-case from the beginning, because of its important  geoethical implications.

The IAPG session on Geoethics at the EGU 2013 

In 2013, the IAPG organized a session on Geoethics (NH9.8 - Geoethics: Ethical Challenges In Communication, Geoeducation And Management of Natural Hazards:http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2013/orals/11853; convenership: Silvia Peppoloni, Susan Kieffer, Janusz Wasowski, Elizabeth Silva and Meng Wang) at the EGU General Assembly in Vienna, focused on this unfortunate case. 

The session was attended by prominent scientists, including Massimo Cocco, Tomas Jordan and Max Wyss.

Massimo Cocco 
(INGV - Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia)

Thomas Jordan 
(Southern California Earthquake Center at The University of Southern California) 

Max Wyss 
(Past Director of the World Agency of Planetary Monitoring & Earthquake Risk Reduction)

The IAPG, in collaboration with the AGI and the YES Network, organized a webinar of that session (http://www.egu2013.eu/nh9_8_video.html) in order to allow geoscientists from all over the world to follow oral presentations and slides.

We take this opportunity to inform you that an important book will be published by November 2014: “Wyss M. & Peppoloni S. (Eds). Geoethics: Ethical Challenges and Case Studies in Earth Sciences. 2014, 450 p. Elsevier” (http://store.elsevier.com/Geoethics/isbn-9780127999357/), in which space is given to the L'Aquila earthquake-case.


A second book on Geoethics will be published in 2015. It will contain a detailed article on the L'Aquila trial.

It is desiderable that this case can be transformed into an important moment to reflect upon the social role of geoscientists, in order to improve their relationships with the population, politicians and mass-media.

An in-depth analysis of the L'Aquila earthquake case may contribute to increase the trust of citizens towards the geoscientists and to develop more effective strategies in the defense against natural hazards.


Pictures from: 
www.ilmessaggero.it
http://www.ae-info.org/ae/User/Cocco_Massimo
http://www.improntalaquila.org/
http://jtifoundation.org/

Geoethics at the EGU - GA 2015

Session EOS8

Geoethics for Society: general aspects and case studies in geosciences

Call for Abstracts 

(deadline: 7 January 2015, 13:00 CET)

European Geosciences Union, General Assembly

Vienna (Austria), 12-17 April 2015

Conveners

Silvia Peppoloni, Nic Bilham, Susan W. Kieffer, Eduardo Marone

Session description

Geoethics consists of research and reflection on the values which underpin appropriate behaviours and practices, wherever human activities interact with the geosphere. Geoethics deals with the ethical, social and cultural implications of Earth Sciences education, research and practice, and with the social role and responsibility of geoscientists in conducting their activities.

Silvia Peppoloni

As scholars and experts on some of the most urgent problems affecting our planet, geoscientists can play a fundamental role in society, thanks to their unique range of skills, by helping to meet human needs and address environmental problems at the local and global scale, and by providing information and expert advice to support informed decision-making and public debate. Education, at all levels, must be re-oriented to give 21st century citizens a better understanding of natural systems and our interactions with them, and to equip them to participate in debate about the challenges of living equitably and sustainably on our planet. Geoscientists have a great deal to contribute to this re-orientation.

Nic Bilham

The success of past sessions on Geoethics, organized at the EGU General Assembly since 2012, has demonstrated the growing interest of the academic and professional geoscience community in issues such as environmentally sustainable supply of energy and water resources, protection from natural hazards, and reducing pollution and its impacts on health and the climate. More specifically, geoscientific discourse is increasingly addressing ethical and social problems related to land management; use of natural resources; risk mitigation and communication; geoeducational strategies; research integrity and professional deontology; relationships between geoscientists, politicians, the mass media and the public; and the value of geodiversity, geoheritage and geoparks.

Susan Kieffer

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 and geoeducation, especially among the young, improving the communication of their research and practice to the public and policy makers, taking care of the quality of human life, and promoting sustainable development globally.

Eduardo Marone

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’ research and practice in addressing these challenges.

The session is promoted by the IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics (http://www.iapg.geoethics.org/).

Submit an abstract

http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2015/session/19081

Deadline

7 January 2015, 13:00 CET

EGU Financial Support

Scientists who wish to apply for EGU financial support must be the contact author of their contribution, and they must submit an abstract by 28 November 2014.

For more information about the financial support, visit the EGU GA 2015 website: 

http://www.egu2015.eu/support_and_distinction.html.