Geoethics, Geoetica, Earth and Planetary Protection, Ethics, Integrity, Space Exploration, Geology, Geodiversity, Astrobiology

This initiative about Geoethics is supported by the Spanish Official Association of Geologists (ICOG: Ilustre Colegio Oficial de Geologos) and the Association of Geoscientists for International Development (AGID).

Geoethics is now in Facebook. Join us ! (Group and Community)

Martinez-Frias, J., Gonzalez, J.L. & Rull, F. (2011) Geoethics and Deontology. From fundamentals to applications in Planetary Protection. Episodes 34-4: 257-262.

Geoethics News, March 2012, by Dr. Vaclav Nemec.

INTERNATIONAL DECLARATION ON GEOETHICS

Geoethics and Natural Hazard. EGU GA 2011. NH9.8.

Geoethics will be present in the International Geological Congress, Brisbane (Australia), 2012. Geoscience benefiting low income countries. Symposium 5: Geoethics (AGID).

Geoethics is a key discipline in the field of Earth and Planetary Sciences , which involves scientific, technological, methodological and social-cultural aspects (e.g. sustainability, development, museology), but also the necessity of considering appropriate protocols, scientific integrity issues and a code of good practice, regarding the study of the abiotic world. Studies on planetary geology (sensu lato ) and astrobiology also require a geoethical approach. (Martinez-Frias, 2008. Tierra: Spanish Thematic Network of Earth and Planetary Sciences ).

Geosciences: A new international scientific open access journal (mdpi) which includes, for the first time, Geoethics as a specific subject area.

A link to our Geoethics' website has been included in the Ethics Committee of CSIC.

MORE NEWS:

GEOETHICS: the international section of the Mining Pribram Symposium 2011 (incl. AGID Working Group for Geoethics), 10-14 October 2011 Pribram, Czech Republic .

A session on Geoethics was included in the Geoitalia 2011 congress (19-23 Sept.2011). Geoethics and Geological Culture: The contribution of Earth Sciences to a cultural renewal of Society (see a brief report by Dott.ssa Silvia Peppoloni ).

The Traditional section XXX on Geoethics will be held as part of the 10th International Conference "New Ideas in Earth Sciences" (in Russian)

New interesting link: Geoethics in Russia as well as further information about interesting meetings, by Dr. Nataliya Nikitina

Geoethics in Moscow, by Dr. Nataliya Nikitina (English version by Dr. Vaclav Nemec)

http://www.geoethics.ru/

Since 1992, geoethical problems started to be regularly presented in the frame of the International Geological Congresses.

Synthetic plot of selected geological and astrogeological topics in which Geoethics plays a significant role (Martinez-Frias, 2010)

Geoethics involves respecting the "abiotic world". Geoparks and Geosites are excellent initiatives, not only for the Earth, but also for the Moon, Mars and beyond, which are narrowly related with the ethical approach. (see, among others, Cockell & Hornek, 2004, 2006 and Martinez-Frias, 2010)

PLANETARY GEOLOGY AND EXPLORATION

Geoethics and geodiversity have gained importance in recent decades in the context of geosciences and their interdisciplinary links. Geoethics was formerly promoted in 1991 as a new discipline in the framework of Earth Sciences, linking Ethics and Geology, and involving scientific and societal aspects from theoretical and practical approaches. The institutionalisation of geoethics was established much more recently, in 2004, by forming a working group for geoethics with the backing of the Association of Geoscientists for International Development (AGID). Geodiversity was used for the first time in 1993 as the geological equivalent of biodiversity. It has had considerable conceptual development and noteworthy institutional support, and now warrants the status of a geological paradigm, incorporating in its definition all the variety of rocks, minerals and landforms and the processes which have formed these features throughout geological time. Here, we propose that the incorporation of the geoethical and geodiversity issues in planetary geology and astrobiology studies would enrich their methodological and conceptual character.

Geoethics has applications to, among others, the research of meteoroids and meteorites, the geological study of terrestrial analogs, the correct use of mineralogical and geochemical analytical procedures, the interrelation with bioethics and organics vs. inorganic contamination in Planetary Protection , and many other aspects associated to scientific integrity in the context of planetary geology and astrobiology. Likewise, Geodiversity, following the recently defined and approved IUCN guidelines and recommendations would have an unambiguous use in Space as Planetary Geodiversity, valuing and safeguarding the different types and groups of meteorites as representatives of the planetary bodies of our solar system, as well as considering the worth of the abiotic nature of the planets in itself. (from Martinez-Frias et al. 2009).

Geo versus Bio. Ethics and scientific integrity issues.

I.- The scientific study of the abiotic nature and all features of the planetary bodies (asteroids, planets and moons) and their planetary geodiversity (including terrestrial analogs).

II.- The scientific study of bolides and meteorites as well as the terrestrial areas affected by their impacts or influence (e.g. impact structures, mineralogical and geochemical anomalies).

III.- Other potential museistic, geoconservation and even cultural issues regarding the legal regulation and procedural protocols related with extraterrestrial materials (e.g. meteorites, Lunar samples).

GEOETHICS - Association of Geoscientists for International Development (AGID). AGID is an affiliate of International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS).

Geoethics in Planetary and Space Exploration

Geo versus Bio. Ethics and scientific integrity issues.

Planetary Protection