Breaking down silos
John Ludden argues for the power of collaboration in a connected world
Image by csk from Pixabay
We are at a critical time geopolitically and it is appropriate, given the current state of the Planet, to ask the question, ‘what Earth do we want to live on?’ Is it one where economic growth is continually threatening key tipping points? Or is it one where the systems that govern the planet and its people allow for a more holistic view of life on Earth?
Geoscience – the basic science of how the dynamic Earth has evolved and will evolve in the future – is critical for addressing these questions. Geoscientists are essential for ensuring the healthy functioning of Earth and contributing to the safety of our planet. But we cannot do it alone – collaboration is key.
We live on a dynamic system of plates. In general, we understand their workings, but we struggle to predict hazards and the risks to people and infrastructure. Better monitoring systems, satellite technology and the use of artificial intelligence on multi-sourced databases are essential.
Geoscientists can help protect and ensure clean, adequate water supplies, especially in challenging areas such as Africa where much of the water is underground. Likewise for soils and ecosystems that need to be nurtured and are located in the critical zone where lithosphere meets hydrosphere and atmosphere.
As we adapt to a warmer and more urban world, and transition to low-carbon societies, runaway economic growth and resource development must be curbed and become sustainable. Geoscience is essential for managing the subsurface that will be used in the energy transition in areas such as geothermal energy, carbon capture, energy storage, resource extraction and waste management.
To achieve this requires geoscientists to move away from our silos and engage not only with other geoscientists, but with engineers and socio-economists who will help us deliver solutions to the crises facing our planet. Opening new frontiers – for example, in planetary and lunar exploration, deep-sea mineral resources, and geoengineering to address climate change – requires oversight and best practice in the geosciences, as well as open exchange between geoscientists, policy makers and the public on difficult questions.
Our geoscientific advice will be required in a regime of tougher environmental regulation and greater public scrutiny, set against a backdrop of global digital communications and social media that can make environmental services harder to manage due to disinformation and extreme positions from both exploiters and activists.
As geologists we must embrace the term Anthropocene – one of the few geological concepts (aside from Jurassic) that the public can easily engage with. The term acknowledges that human impacts on the planet are measurable and long-lasting and go beyond the realms of traditional geology and stratigraphy – it is the geology of humanity.
Earth is in its most challenged state since humankind inhabited it. It is incumbent on us to work with others and look toward the provision of geological-based solutions to save the planet we know and love.
John Ludden, outgoing President of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), now retired and a consulting geoscientist living in France
(This discourse was delivered by John Ludden at the 38th International Geological Congress in Busan in August 2024 at the end of his mandate as President of the IUGS.)
