Geoethics, Geoconservation, Geoheritage, Citizenship and Environmental Legislation

Geology should not continue to focus on the understanding of the past, but should reflect on the future, both with respect to the use of natural resources and to the generation of waste arising from the exploitation and use of such resources. Thus, Geoethics is an interdisciplinary field between Geosciences and Ethics involving the Earth and the Planetary Sciences, in addition to applied ethics; it deals with human ways of thinking and acting in relation to the meaning of the Earth as a system and model. This includes scientific, technological, methodological and socio-cultural aspects, such as sustainability, development, geodiversity and geoheritage, the conscientious consumption of mineral resources, the appropriate measures for foreseeing and mitigating natural risks, the public disclosure and specialised communication in Geosciences. Furthermore, it recognises the need to take appropriate protocols into account for these topics and Social Learning and Education as strategies in order to meet our sustainability goals.