ETHICS AND GEOLOGY

Ethics in geology is no different from ethics in any profession. Professional ethics is professional ethics.

These characteristics are common to all professions: possession of 1) a basis of systemic theory; 2) authority recognized by the clientele of the professional group; 3) a broad community sanction and approval of this authority; 4) a code of ethics regulating the relationships of professional with their clients and colleagues; and 5) a professional structure sustained by professional associations. There is no doubt that geology is a profession, and that geologists are assumed to be professionals. This brings with it certain responsibilities.

When the environment became commercial in the '60s, many geologists failed to realize that the earth—lithospere, hydrosphere and atmosphere, all of it—is the environment and stood by while activists and their lawyers took over. With hydrogeology, our science finally became part of the milieu. Our expertise has since contributed greatly to environmental work.

But when climate change became an issue we were again unprepared. Apparently we still are, and that's the message here. Climate change may be a geological fact, but global warming caused by man-made carbon dioxide remains speculation. Geology is the proper science to resolve this issue.

What does ethics have to do with all this? Ethics, the system of UNIVERSAL moral principle, is rooted in First Principles, the foremost of which is absolute truth. Truth is not subject to opinion—something is either true or it is not.

But for 2500-years ethics has been considered in terms of the polis as well. While individual ethics is necessary, the ultimate responsibility is to the public, in this case the entire world. Our Code of Ethics makes clear that we owe it to the world—the entire world—to apply our particular expertise to resolve geological issues including climate change. It is our duty. Not to do so is unethical.

I propose that we assume our professional responsibilities, take the issue of climate change in hand and set about identifying and collecting the information necessary to resolve it scientifically, objectively and properly. It's our job. Let's do it.