Geoethics and geological culture: awareness, responsibility and challenges

Abstract

The international debate in the field of geoethics focuses on some of the most important environmental emergencies, while highlighting the great responsibilities of geoscientists, whatever field they work in, and the important social, cultural and economic repercussions that their choices can have on society. The Geoitalia 2009 and 2011 conferences that were held in Rimini and Turin, respectively, and were organized by the Italian Federation of Earth Science, were two important moments for the promotion of geoethics in Italy. They were devoted to the highlighting of how, and with what tools and contents, can the geosciences contribute to the cultural renewal of society. They also covered the active roles of geoscientists in the dissemination of scientific information, contributing in this way to the correct construction of social knowledge. Geology is culture, and as such it can help to dispel misconceptions and cultural stereotypes that concern natural phenomena, disasters, resources, and land management. Geological culture consists of methods, goals, values, history, ways of thinking about nature, and specific sensitivity for approaching problems and their solutions. So geology has to fix referenced values, as indispensable prerequisites for geoethics. Together, geological culture and geoethics can strengthen the bond that joins people to their territory, and can help to find solutions and answers to some important challenges in the coming years regarding natural risks, resources, and climate change. Starting from these considerations, we stress the importance of establishing an ethical criterion for Earth scientists, to focus attention on the issue of the responsibility of geoscientists, and the need to more clearly define their scientific identity and the value of their specificities.

The Emerging Field of Geoethics

“…Geoethics rediscovers, expands, and enhances the cultural dimension of geoscience knowledge (Frodeman 1995;Frodeman and Baker 2000;Peppoloni and Di Capua 2012) as a basic element of a holistic vision that goes beyond the dualism between humans and nature. Geoethics emphasizes the ethical criterion of responsible human action towards the Earth (Peppoloni and Di Capua 2012), not only in its biotic components (biodiversity) but also in the abiotic (geodiversity).…”

“…The definition of geoethics proposed by summarizes this vision: "Geoethics consists of research and reflection on the values which underpin appropriate behaviors and practices, wherever human activities interact with the geosphere". It deals with the ethical, social, economic, and cultural implications of using Earth sciences for societal benefits, represents an opportunity for geoscientists to consider their activities under an ethical perspective, and provides an avenue for increasing societal awareness of problems related to geo-resources exploitation and energy supplies, geo-environmental changes and geohazards (Lucchesi and Giardino 2012;Peppoloni and Di Capua 2012).…”

The Morphology of Prometheus, Literary Geography and the Geoethical Project

“…Peppeloni and Di Capua argue that the field of geoethics is committed to "exploring philosophical problems", plotting a "constellation of concepts to be used to understand the world" [13], and providing new methods of analysis and interpretation to be employed in geoeducation curricula. Accordingly, this paper maps how an aphoristic mythical archetype of Western culture has been transposed to different historical eras, and addresses the unique, but commensurate geoethical dilemmas perceived and represented by writers in their specific temporal, cultural and environmental milieus.…”

Geoethics to Start Up a Pedagogical and Political Path towards Future Sustainable Societies

“…In Peppoloni and Di Capua [16] the scheme of geoethical values is further developed and organized according to the four domains of geoethics. In the field of geoethics, virtuous actions respond to the principle of responsibility [33], the ethical criterion of action [34]. In geoethics, personal, social, group, and religious morals converge, finding points of contact in the set of geoethical values proposed in Table 2.…”