Geoethics Outcomes and Awareness Learning

Geoethics Outcomes and Awareness Learning

The Earth system is dramatically changing. This fact is evidenced by the effects of climate change, having an impact, such as water availability and quality, the increasing number of natural disasters, and the artificialization of natural landscapes, among other aspects. In this scenario, human behavior towards planet Earth has particular relevance. A globalized world asks for renewed sustainable development objectives regarding environmental, economic, and social targets. It is necessary to change behaviors in a contextualized and holistic direction, supported by ethical values in favour of planetary sustainability. This reiterates the relevance of geoethics since the latter highlights and debates the value and the utility of sustainability. As stated by many researchers, numerous societal issues concerning the planet are not related to their scientific understanding but rather to ethical dilemmas. In this sense, geoethics covers a continuum of concerns, from establishing clear professional codes of practice to developing global legal frameworks and good governance processes for planet Earth.
Recognizing the power of education to reach and transform the society, Project GOAL (Geoethics Outcomes and Awareness Learning) was an international partnership that leveraged synergies to achieve its main objective: to develop a transnational syllabus and related educational resources directed at the awareness and learning of geoethics in higher education. The GOAL syllabus may enhance students' knowledge, skills, and competencies and is suitable to be used in universities and other educational establishments. The project followed an educationally contextualized approach and delivered a handbook (eBook), and an online platform (https://goal-erasmus.eu).
Grounded on the belief that improvement of future citizens' training is essential, experts of six countries developed Erasmus+ project GOAL outcomes. It was possible to combine knowledge from multiple areas, mobilized for creating the geoethical syllabus and more than a dozen educational resources within the scope of compiled it in an eBook "Teaching Geoethics: Resources for Higher Education" (available in https://goal-erasmus.eu/ehandbook/). Towards its chapters, this eBook presents the theoretical support for the entire syllabus and its educational resources application on higher education context worldwide in a clear but also profound manner. By covering a range of topics (such as the theoretical aspects of geoethics, geological resources exploitation, geoheritage, water and georisks management), these educational tools provide the possibility to teach and learn geoethics in an interdisciplinary and meaningful way, Geoscientists endowed with an ethical understanding of their actions on the planet are professionals more conscious about the Earth's importance for the human species prosperity and survival.
Achieving GOAL's objectives allow international partners and the scientific community to set new goals and seek new horizons in geoethics.

The Partners:

UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO, Portugal - Coordinator

ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI GEOFISICA E VULCANOLOGIA, Italy
KAUNO TECHNOLOGIJOS UNIVERSITETAS, Lithuania
UNIVERSIDAD DE ZARAGOZA, Spain
UNIVERSITAET FUER BODENKULTUR WIEN, Austria
WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE, Israel