| Various natural disasters with extremely destructive effects (earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, extreme floods etc.) - resulting from or connected with unavoidable geodynamical processes in the Earth crust with their possible hierarchical periodicity - have been occurring in the geological history mostly in distant past times without any possibility to be registered in the memory of human kind. Many of substantial changes occur in liaison with climatic changes. Let us remember that the Earth crust is a superb archive of past climates which documents repeated periods of global warming and cooling throughout Earth's history as demonstrated in the latest International Geological Congresses (Oslo - 2008 and Brisbane - 2012). Present changes should be seen in the context of these billions of years of natural changes. Mostly only earth scientists (geologists of many specialities) are competent and responsible for progress in studying these phenomena in order to solve possible forecasting and prediction of future returns of considerable changes. They should be supported by all competent authorities and players in the market. - Geoethics as a new discipline at junction of earth sciences and ethics tries to emphasize various contexts of facing extraordinary intensive natural hazards and disasters. Numerous examples in the course of recent years can be presented in various parts of the world. Moreover fresh experiences give a serious warning that also some relatively "small" disasters may appear as dangerous in continental and global scales. Geoethical issues are to be preferentially applied for assuring a fair co-existence of mankind with the abiotic Nature and for trying to minimize potential damages with a high level of responsibility. From this point of view some oversimplified “sustainable development” ideas can finally appear as unsustainable because of not taking into consideration all possible unavoidable disasters caused exclusively by the processes in the Earth crust. Geological factors need to be reflected and respected in any concept of environmental sustainability. People have to improve permanently by an appropriate up-to-date geoeducation any knowledge of the behaviour of the Nature (including its predictability). The needed geoethical way of thinking and acting should be based on generally accepted moral and ethical principles achieved by mankind by various ways and experiences (in spite of some current contrary trends). It is necessary to seek new priorities emphasizing more and more the solidarity of human kind. |