The case for a greenfields renaissance Feature - Geological Society ...

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The Australian Geologist Newsletter 150, March 2009 Registered by Australia Post Publication No. PP243459/00091 ISSN 0312 4711 Technical Editor: Bill Birch Production Editor: Heather Catchpole Send contributions to: tag@gsa.org.au Central Business Office Executive Director: Sue Fletcher Suite 61, 104 Bathurst Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Tel: (02) 9290 2194 Fax: (02) 9290 2198 Email: info@gsa.org.au GSA website: www.gsa.org.au 22 From the President 23 Report of the Merger Committee 24 Guest Editor’s Comment 25 Society Update Business Report Membership Update From the AJES Editor’s Desk Education & Outreach Stratigraphic Column Data Metallogenica Design and typesetting The Visible Word Pty Ltd Printed by Ligare Pty Ltd Distributed by Trade Mailing & Fulfilment Pty Ltd 15 News from the Divisions 17 News 22 Feature: Tsunami hazard and mitigation in Australia 25 Special Report: A rallying cry for geoscience: part 2 29 In Focus: The case for a greenfields renaissance Adelaide University Honours student Joanna McMahon sampling euro (also known as the common wallaroo) droppings in Hidden Valley, northern Flinders Ranges, as part of a multi-disciplinary regolith and biogeochemistry Honours student research program centred on the Four Mile uranium (U) mineralisation. This study found euro droppings near the Four Mile mineralisation had concentrations up to 24 parts per million U. It is estimated that the samples of euro droppings provide an approximate 1 km diameter biogeochemical 'footprint' of buried uranium mineralisation in this region. Reports of mushroom-shaped dust clouds originating from jumping kangaroos are not substantiated! Image courtesy Steve Hill, University of Adelaide. 32 ARC grants for Earth Science research 37 Book Reviews 42 Letters to the Editor 46 Calendar 47 Office Bearers 48 Publishing Details
From the President This is our planet and we have a crucial role to play Earth Science is THE science of the 21st century and faces two crucial issues, energy and environment. It is imperative that Earth Science is front and centre, to provide the necessary knowledge to understand and to solve these issues. The important role that Earth Science can play in our future has also recently been recognised by the American Geological Institute (AGI) in its document ‘Critical needs for the twenty-first century: the role of the geosciences’ (a PDF of this document is on the AGI Government Affairs website at www.agiweb.org/gap/trans08). The AGI prepared this as a policy document for the incoming US president, US Federal agencies and Congress. The American Geological Institute is a non-profit federation of 45 organisations that represent more than 120,000 geologists, geophysicists, and other Earth Scientists. The AGI recognises that with pressures from growing human population, rising demands for natural resources and a changing climate, it is critical to more fully integrate Earth observations and Earth system understanding into actions for a sustainable world. The document identifies seven critical issues facing the world and the role geosciences can play in addressing them. These are: 1. Energy and climate change: how do we secure stable energy supplies in an increasingly carbon-constrained world 2. Water: will there be enough fresh water and where will it come from 3. Waste treatment and disposal: how will we reduce and handle waste and provide a healthy environment for all 4. Natural hazards: how will we mitigate risk and provide a safer environment 5. Infrastructure modernisation: how will we develop and integrate new technology and modernise aging infrastructure 6. Raw materials: how will we ensure reliable supplies when they are needed and where will they come from 7. Geoscience workforce and education: who will do the work to understand Earth processes and meet demands for resources and resiliency Who will educate the public and train the workforce The report makes three broad recommendations which are built around: 1) providing expert Earth Science advice to government, ideally through an advisor or panel with direct access to the head of government; 2) investing in mapping, monitoring and assessments, as well as State and Federal surveys of natural resources; 3) investing in research and development to understand Earth processes. Sustainable consumption and conservation of resources, enhancement of environmental quality and resilience from risk depend on living with our dynamic planet. The need for expert advice in the US echoes a similar urgent call that the Geological Society of Australia made last year to the Federal and State governments to establish an independent national advisory panel of expert geoscientists. This would provide a much-needed highlevel ‘early warning system’ for a wide range of issues, particularly potential environmental crises, years before these crises become irreversible. A National Geoscience Expert Panel would serve as an independent voice to provide scientifically-based warnings and recommendations on a wide range of issues. See following link: http://gsa.org.au/ > Resources > Media Centre > 18 August 2008 > National Geoscience Expert Panel needed as high-level “early warning system” on environmental disasters An Australian perspective on the workforce and education component of the AGI report is provided in this issue of TAG by Jim Ross with part 2 of ‘A rallying cry for geoscience in Australia’. This report draws upon the 2007 AGC survey published in 2008 and paints a bleak picture of the sustainability of teaching Earth Science in our tertiary institutions (something those of us working in the sector have known instinctively for some time). The article goes on to emphasise the need for more, and better, integration of Earth and environmental knowledge into school curricula and the importance of this in securing the future of the profession. We as a profession recognise the importance of Earth Science and its role in society; however, this is not always appreciated in the broader community. There is a dichotomy between the accomplishments and vision outlined in reports such as the AGI report and society’s perception of Earth Science, in which scientists can be portrayed as part of the problem, rather than being instrumental in finding a solution. Whether as individuals or through organisations such as the Geological Society of Australia, we as a profession need to work hard to ensure Earth Science provides the pathway to a sustainable planet for our children and grandchildren. PETER CAWOOD President 2 | TAG March 2009
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