3:50 PM - 4:10 PM
[U14-06] Development and challenges of activities that utilize the characteristics of Human Geosciences section
★Invited Papers
Keywords:Earth Surface Systems, Anthropocene, multi-sphere interactions, value of the Earth
The related word group of the five independent science sections of Japan Geoscience Union - Space, Planets, Solid Earth, Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere, Human sphere (Anthrosphere), and Earth (Geo)- encompass the natural world and evoke the history of the birth, diversification, and complexity of the Earth. There is no doubt that the last Anthrosphere to appear on Earth will be the first to disappear. If humans desire the survival of their descendants and science should contribute to human well-being, then the word "Geo" in Human Geosciences has the limited meaning of "Earth that supports the survival of humans." This limitation brings in a new perspective of "evaluating the value of the Earth for humans," and conversely, it gives "Geo" a meaning that goes beyond the purely natural scientific view of the Earth.
The argument that the Earth has entered a new geological era (the Anthropocene) is gaining momentum, because the great acceleration in the anthroposphere has caused the Earth's surface environment to deviate from that of the Holocene. Climate change, as exemplified by global warming, and the associated increased risk of natural disasters, decline in ecosystem functions, resource depletion, and human-caused waste pollution are threatening the survival of the anthroposphere. Innovative research on these themes is frequently published in Nature and Science. High school textbooks, such as Basic Earth Science and the required subjects of Geography also introduce the issues extensively. I understand that the quest to overcome the crisis in the anthroposphere and to use science to bring happiness to humanity by rediscovering and reevaluating the value of the Earth and nature and restoring and enhancing their functions has supported Dream Roadmap envisioned by Human Geosciences section. I believe that this policy should continue and develop unchanged into the future.
The Geoscience Union is composed of only five independent sections. Taking advantage of the merits of having only five sections, each section will share within itself how it is trying to define the common word "geo" and, using this as a starting point, will have a wide-ranging and in-depth discussion across sections on what the Earth is from various angles. This will be what future generations expect from us. A major challenge for Human Geosciences will be to learn the profoundness of the anthroposphere, which was established after a long history of multi-sphere interactions and deepening our understanding of the interactions between the Earth and humans on various spatial and temporal scales from a broad perspective within a larger framework.
The argument that the Earth has entered a new geological era (the Anthropocene) is gaining momentum, because the great acceleration in the anthroposphere has caused the Earth's surface environment to deviate from that of the Holocene. Climate change, as exemplified by global warming, and the associated increased risk of natural disasters, decline in ecosystem functions, resource depletion, and human-caused waste pollution are threatening the survival of the anthroposphere. Innovative research on these themes is frequently published in Nature and Science. High school textbooks, such as Basic Earth Science and the required subjects of Geography also introduce the issues extensively. I understand that the quest to overcome the crisis in the anthroposphere and to use science to bring happiness to humanity by rediscovering and reevaluating the value of the Earth and nature and restoring and enhancing their functions has supported Dream Roadmap envisioned by Human Geosciences section. I believe that this policy should continue and develop unchanged into the future.
The Geoscience Union is composed of only five independent sections. Taking advantage of the merits of having only five sections, each section will share within itself how it is trying to define the common word "geo" and, using this as a starting point, will have a wide-ranging and in-depth discussion across sections on what the Earth is from various angles. This will be what future generations expect from us. A major challenge for Human Geosciences will be to learn the profoundness of the anthroposphere, which was established after a long history of multi-sphere interactions and deepening our understanding of the interactions between the Earth and humans on various spatial and temporal scales from a broad perspective within a larger framework.