PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND PRACTICES - COLUMN 153
Canon 3. Obligations to Employers and Clients Canon 4. Obligations to Professional Colleagues Canon 5. Obligations to the Institute and the Profession
The AIPG Code of Ethics contains a number of Standards and Rules under the Canons and goes into considerably more detail than the proposed AGI Guidelines. Because the AIPG Code of Ethics is enforced, this additional detail is appropriate to provide further guidance about the Code’s provisions. These columns have provided more detail of various provisions over the years (a topical index of these columns, which is updated with each new TPG issue, is posted on AIPG’s website).
The following bullet points from the proposed AGI Guidelines address issues that are not currently part of or are not as explicitly stated in the AIPG Code of Ethics:
Separate facts/observations from interpretations.
Encourage and assist in the development of a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Promote greater understanding of the geosciences by other technical groups, students, the general public, news media, and policy makers through effective communication and education.
Acknowledge the complexities and uncertainties of Earth systems.
Inform the public about natural resources, hazards, and other geologic phenomena clearly, accurately, and respon- sibly.
Advocate responsible stewardship of the planet through an improved understanding and interpretation of Earth sys- tems, and by communicating real and potential implications of human actions.
Revising the AIPG Code of Ethics to incorporate these pro- posed Guidelines is something AIPG should consider doing. If anyone would like to work with me on this revision to the AIPG Code of Ethics just let me know. I will welcome your thoughts and suggestions.
Social Licensing—a New Responsibility for Exploration Geoscientists
As stated in the brochure for the Social Licensing— Achieving Public Support Conference held in Denver on November 10, 2014, “The term “Social License to Operate” (SLO) was originally adopted for use by the Canadian min- ing industry in the late 1990s, and referred to the concept that social permission was needed for a mining company to
Figure 2. The shifting emphasis towards social licensing in mining industry guidelines (after Matt King slide, AIPG Social Licensing Conference, Denver, 11/10/14).
conduct its operations, for example from local communities or indigenous people. Since then, the premise of the SLO has been extended to other geological challenges faced by society, such as fracking for oil and gas development, radioactive waste disposal, carbon capture and storage, geologic hazards, and deep-well injection of wastewater.
“The lay public is frequently uninformed or misinformed about the complex scientific and technical challenges that accompany these issues. This problem is typically coupled with a general lack of knowledge about subsurface geology. The SLO seeks to alleviate this problem through a variety of public par- ticipation strategies to engage with citizens, communities, and stakeholder groups. Through this process, geoscientists can develop an understanding of public knowledge and concerns.”
Social licensing involves far more than complying with environmental and other regulatory requirements. The need to obtain general public support is both critical and increasingly covered by statements promulgated by various advocacy and industry groups. NIMBY’s (not in my back yard) are every- where and not all of them can be convinced that your project should go forward. But you do need majority support for your project. Figure 2 shows the change in emphasis in guidelines from an emphasis solely on regulatory and environmental compliance through growing attention to social issues to an emphasis on sustainable development for natural resource projects of all types. Similar trends affect the oil and gas industry as demonstrated by the recent growth in anti-fracking initiatives in the United States.
Geologic Ethics & Professional Practices is now available on CD
The Professional GeologistGeologic Ethics and Professional Practices 1987-1997
The Professional Geologist
www.aipg.org.
www.aipg.org
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