Nikitina produced a monograph in 2016 that contains the first known systematic exposition of main provisions of the new scientific field of ethics, geoethics, analyzing its status and considering its place in the system of contemporary scientific knowledge. Particular attention is paid to the development of moral foundations of relations in the system of “human being – inanimate nature,” arising from the scientific research of the Earth and its mineral resources, practical geological exploration, mining and utilization of mineral resources, as well as from the use of mineral resources while constructing and operating the underground facilities not related to mining.
For specialists of research institutes, university professors, employees of the administrative apparatus, legislative authorities, developers of a variety
of programs, concepts and scenarios for the development and utilization of mineral resources, geologists and workers of the mining industry.
Publishing of the first edition of monography “Geoethics: Theory, Principles, Problems” in July 2012 has been objectively speaking predetermined. The monography was presented at a session dedicated to geotheics at the 34th International Geological Congress (Brisbane, Australia). Although the definition of geoethics has already been established in some dictionaries and encyclopaedias, as a science it only existed in a form of separate reports and theses.
There were no known consolidated documents on this topic in Russian or other languages, and there were just very few scientists in the world, not more than 50 in total, researching geoethics. The situation has changed significantly within the last four years. First of all the definition of geoethics has been specified and broadened. Independent national geoethical societies and departments for geoethics under national geological societies have been established in many countries on all continents except Antarctica. On an international level these societies have been combined under the umbrella of two scientific associations: International Association for Geoethics– IAGETH (includes national organizations of 44 countries) and International Association for Promoting Geoethics – IAPG. Both organizations have been affiliated members of International Association of Geological Sciences – IUGS, since 2014.
During the last four years (which may seem quite a short time) the amount of accumulated knowledge has increased, geoehical situations, problems and dilemmas have been specified. New issues have been identified some of which are common for majority of countries, and others are specific to separate groups, communities and clusters of populations (NIMBY syndrome, feasibility of exploration of natural resources of the international seabed area, continental shelf, Arctic, Antarctic, other planets; fair distribution of profits from exploitation of natural resources, ethical dilemmas when predicting ever increasing catastrophical geological processes). When assessing effectiveness of geological projects, it is necessary to apply not only usual economic criteria, such as profitability, commercial viability and profit margins – but also consider deep moral essence of the terms “subsoils”, “earth”, “natural resources”.
More and more often in practice, when implementing any projects related to subsoil use, it is needed to take into consideration essential features of mineral resources and its useful qualities: natural and geographical uneven distribution, exhaustibility, non-replenishability, scarcity and resource ownership by current and future generations.
We need to use geoethical principles and specific instruments when making executive decisions around mineral exploration and mineral use in order to avoid social conflicts.
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