*Yujiro OGAWA1
(1.No affiliation)
Keywords:IUGS, GeoParks, GeoVandalism, GeoEthics, National Park Movement
The Executive Committee of IUGS (International Union of Geological Sciences) decided to continue supporting IGGP (International Geoscience and GeoParks Programme) after successful development of IGCP for 45 years. It is stressed that we invite much more researchers from developing countries. The GeoParks movement is also very fruitful in these years (particularly in China). On the other hand, there is not much difference for ordinary citizen between GeoParks, World Heritage (there are a few geological world heritages), National Parks, and Natural Preserves, although there must be distinct differences in between these programmes. They work under each popular logs. Natural Trust Movement in Britain also works by spontaneous motion for natural preserve of citizen. These seem no different with GeoParks in appearance to utilize the world-famous geological outcrops and areas for education and heritage to the citizen and world. In particular, the USA has many national parks and monuments that are used for education on nature and morals of young people by family outside. These are quite different from Japanese national parks in which many regulations and controls are involved. The universities have effective curriculums of summer camp (USA) and mapping project (UK), similar to the previous promotion thesis (Shinron) of Japan, and are well supported by professors, students and society. In these years, natural preserves (including environments and resources) have been popular but the geological leaders may trend different ways to economic development of the world and their own country. IUGS have done four IGCs (International Geological Congresses) in these more than 12 years, suggesting to utilize geology for the economic development. These are of a different trend as UNESCO and other nature conservation associations which seek basic education for natural environments. GeoParks and other similar movements must be on such nature conservation trends. On the other hand, GeoVandalism includes outcrop destruction by geologists and civil engineering projects in s.s., and environmental destruction in s.l. for opposing such un-ethical deeds, as such geo-ethical points of view must be claimed much more for nature conservation, natural preserve, natural heritage etc. Two geo-ethical programmes are going on (www.iapg.geoethics.org/, www.icog.es/iageth), and special issue of Episodes, 2014 Vol. 37 No. 4 (www.episodes.co.in) is published for claiming geohazards in subduction zones. Our geologists must work for education of the world and citizen by our professionalism (http://tg-ggp.org/). The movements of so-called geo-something must be discussed in the term of geo-ethics.