Conference report Geoscience Summit 2004 Ottawa, Ontario 16-17 October 2004.(Issues in Canadian Geoscience)

Publication: Geoscience Canada

Publication Date: 01-JUN-05

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COPYRIGHT 2005 Geological Association of Canada

SUMMARY

Over one hundred leaders of the Canadian earth science community met at Geoscience Summit 2004 last October to discuss strategies for maximizing our contribution to society. The Summit was chaired by Canadian Geoscience Council (CGC) President Harvey Thorleifson and Geological Association of Canada (GAC) Advocacy Coordinator Simon Hanmer, while sponsors were CGC and Geological Survey of Canada (GSC).

Thirty-nine speakers prepared analyses, focusing on key points identified in discussions at CGC-sponsored Council of Presidents meetings in November 2003 and May 2004, which concluded that we need to establish a better sense of community, awareness of activity and priorities, and a more unified voice which will allow us to take more effective collective action. Presentations reviewed earth science in the energy, mining, environment, survey, and research sectors. Representatives of associations described the progress of professional registration, and coordination of activities such as conferences and publishing, as well as communications activity such as outreach, advocacy, and student recruitment. Leaders of past, present and potential research programs outlined lessons learned and the opportunities ahead.

The energy and mineral industry representatives focused on the need for renewal of recruitment and training to provide a new generation of geoscientists, while the mining and environment sectors called for increased availability of public geoscience to support their work in fields such as mineral exploration and groundwater protection. The government sector focused on evolving mandates as well as redistribution and adjustment of geological survey capacity, while highlighting important initiatives such as formulation of a national consensus around the Cooperative Geological Mapping Strategies (CGMS) proposal. The International Polar Year (IYP) and the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE) were reviewed by an invited expert panel, and discussions addressed the implications of the new Canadian Academy of Sciences. Speakers also reviewed the success of LITHOPROBE, and new initiatives were presented, including NEPTUNE, POLARIS, proposals for deep drilling, as well as several others. The potential for broader and more aggressive marine programs was discussed, as were planet-scale approaches, our role in health issues such as toxic elements and groundwater protection, reducing our vulnerability to hazards, dealing with climate change, and ensuring sustainable groundwater supply.

Some participants felt that there should have been more presentations from industry and environmental earth sciences, while others expressed the view that there were too many presentations, at the expense of general discussion. The demographic and gender balance of the participants was seen by some as not reflecting the community. The Summit chairpersons responded to calls for maximization of time for discussion, which resulted in some speakers protesting that their ability to present their analysis was being curtailed. By adjournment time, however, the agenda had been completed on time, and there had been much lively and constructive discussion on successes to celebrate and promising opportunities to pursue.

Participants recognized that the earth sciences play a critical and extensive role in our society, so good coordination and communication within our community are critical to ensure that our contribution to society can be optimized. Fragmentation was seen as the principal challenge constraining our contribution. Therefore, the following priorities were identified:

* An effective Canadian earth science union that can better speak for the benefits of earth science, including a community-wide communication mechanism, pooling of community resources, and coordination of association functions

* More outreach and advocacy to enable Canadians to better utilize earth science knowledge, and to optimize the standing of the earth sciences in Canada

* Renewed agendas for geological surveys and university research, which will capture the imagination of our community, of the policymakers who fund us, and of the public to whom the policymakers listen

* Recruit new geoscientists by providing opportunities for education and work experience; optimize the benefits of professional registration and facilitate professional mobility

The Summit revealed opportunities and frustrations. Fragmentation was seen as our principal challenge, and participants were anxious for follow-up steps to be taken quickly. The level of dissatisfaction with our progress, however, implies that a more efficient and effective model for community coordination is needed. The CGC, therefore, will host a June 2005 Planning Forum in Calgary to develop a Plan for the Earth Sciences in Canada. An autumn 2005 Town Hall in Ottawa will consolidate community views, and a document will result in June 2006. The participation of the entire Canadian earth science community will be required, as we have a responsibility to ensure that the $7B that are spent each year on geoscience knowledge acquisition in Canada are spent effectively and efficiently, for the maximum benefit of all Canadians.

SUMMAIRE

Plus d'une centaine de leaders de la communaute geoscientifique sont reunis en octobre dernier au Sommet geoscientifique 2004, pour y discuter des strategies permettant de maximiser la contribution de notre communaute a la societe. Ce "sommet" etait preside par Harvey Thorleifson, president du Conseil geoscientifique canadien (CGC) et par Simon Hanmer, coordinateur a la promotion a l'Association geologique du Canada, et les commanditaires de l'evenement ont ete le CGC et la Commission geologique du Canada.

Les analyses preparees par les trente-neuf conferenciers portant sur des themes cles cernes discutes aux reunions de novembre 2003 et de mai 2004 du Conseil des presidents--commanditees par le CGC--ont permis de conclure qu'il nous faut renforcer norte sentiment de groupe, etre plus conscient des evenements en cours et de leur priorite, et aussi savoir nous faire entendre d'une voix mieux unifiee, ce qui nous permettra de decider d'un plan d'action collectif plus efficace. Les presentations soumises ont traite des sciences de la Terre dans les secteurs de l'energie, des mines, de l'environnement, de l'exploration, et de la recherche. Des representants d'associations professionnels y ont discute des progres quant en l'enregistrement professionnel, et de la coordination des activites comme les congres et les publications, ainsi que des activites de communications comme la sensibilisation, la defense des interets, et le recrutement des etudiants. Des dirigeants de programmes de recherches passes, actuels ou a venir ont decrit des lecons dont il faut tirer profit et les possibilites qui s'offrent a nous pour l'avenir.

Les representants des secteurs de l'energie et des mineraux ont surtout insiste sur la necessite de recruter et de former une nouvelle generation de geoscientifiques, alors que ceux des secteurs de l'exploitation miniere et de l'environnement ont mis l'accent sur la necessite d'une meilleure sensibilisation du public aux connaissances geosciences afin que les besoins et les contraintes de l'exploration minerale et de la protection des eaux souterraines soit mieux compris. Les representants des services gouvernementaux ont surtout traite de l'evolution des mandats ainsi que de la redistribution et de l'ajustement des outils des services de leve geologique, tout en montrant l'importance de grandes initiatives comme la formulation d'un consensus national sur la proposition de Strategies cooperatives de cartographie scientifique (SCCS). Un panel constitue d'experts invites ont traite de l'Annee polaire internationale (API) et de l'Annee internationale de la planete Terre (AIPT), et les discussions ont porte sur les engagements de la nouvelle Academie des sciences du Canada. Les conferenciers ont aussi passe en revue les reussites du programme LITHOPROBE, et de nouvelles initiatives ont ete decrites, dont les propositions de sondage a grandes profondeurs de NEPTUNE et de POLARIS, ainsi que plusieurs autres. Les merites de programmes marins plus dynamiques et de plus grande envergure ont fait l'objet de discussions, et il en fut de meme d'approches a l'echelle de la planete, de notre role a l'egard de grandes questions de sante comme les elements toxiques et la protection des eaux souterraines, de la reduction de notre vulnerabilite face aux risques naturels, de la gestion des changements climatiques, et de l'assurance d'un approvisionnement durable en eaux souterraines.

Certains des participants ont estime qu'il aurait du y avoir un plus grand nombre de presentations des secteurs de l'industrie et des sciences de la Terre en environnement, alors que d'autres pensaient qu'il y en avait trop par rapport aux discussions generales. Certains ont fait valoir que l'assistance n'etait pas representative de la diversite demographique et du profil hommefemme de la collectivite. Les presidents du "sommet" ont donc pris de mesures visant a maximiser le temps alloue a la discussion, ce qui leur a valu des protestations de certains conferenciers qui arguaient qu'ils n'avaient plus le temps de presenter correctement leur point de vue. Cependant, au moment de la cloture des travaux, tout le contenu de l'ordre du jour avait ete traite, et on avait discute vivement et efficacement des reussites et des possibilites de projets prometteurs.

Les sciences de la Terre jouent un role critique etendu dans notre collecvite, d'ou l'importance critique d'une coordination et d'une communication efficace au sein de la communaute geoscientifique afin d'optimiser notre contribution a la societe. L'absence d'unite de sa voix est le principal defi de la communaute geoscientifique. D'ou la liste suivante de mesures prioritaires a mettre en aeuvre:

* Une union veritable des sciences de la Terre au Canada dotee d'outils de communication lui permettant de porter efficacement les messages de la communaute, la mise en commun des resources du groupe, et la coordination des fonctions des associations professionnelles.

* Davantage d'efforts de sensibilisation et de defense des interets des sciences de la Terre qui permettent aux contribuables canadiens de mieux tirer partie des connaissances geoscientifiques, et qui permettent d'optimiser la position des sciences de la Terre au Canada.

* Des programmes d'activites repenses pour les services geologiques et la recherche universitaire qui stimulent l'imaginaire de la communaute geoscientifique, celles des responsables des sources subventionnaires ainsi que celle du public en general, aux besoins duquel repondent les sources subventionnaires.

* Le recrutement de geoscientifiques par la mise en place de mesures de formation et d'acquisition d'experience; optimiser les avantages de l'inscription a une association professionnelle et faciliter la mobilite professionnelle.

Le "sommet" a permis de mettre au jour frustrations et perspectives d'avenir. La fragmentation a ete percue comme le principal probleme confrontant la communaute geoscientifique, et les participants se sont montres presses de mettre les correctifs en place dans les meilleurs delais. Le niveau d'insatisfaction face a notre evolution appelle la mise en place d'un module de coordination de la communaute geoscientifique qui soit plus efficace. En consequence, la CGC tiendra en juin 2005 a Calgary un forum de planification afin d'elaborer un plan pour les sciences de la Terre au Canada. A l'automne 2005, une assemblee publique a Ottawa permettra de consolider les points de vue de la communaute geoscientifique, et un document de synthese sera produit en juin 2006. La participation de toute la communaute geoscientifique canadienne est essentielle, puisqu'il nous incombe de nous assurer que les 7 G$ qui sont depenses annuellement au Canada pour l'acquisition de connaissances geoscientifiques le soient de maniere judicieuse et efficace, afin que les contribuables canadiens en aient le plus pour leur argent.

SUMMARY OF GEOSCIENCE SUMMIT 2004 PRESENTATIONS

The opening speaker was Irwin Itzkovitch, Assistant Deputy Minister for the Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) Earth Sciences Sector, which includes GSC and Geomatics Canada. He welcomed participants, and conveyed the full support of NRCan for this CGC initiative. He described important contributions that the earth sciences makes to society in provision of mineral, energy and water resources, as well as dealing with climate change and hazards. He also pointed to negative signs such as lack of success in NSERC re-allocation, reduction in industry employment, reduced survey budgets, lower enrolments, aging workforces, and lack of hiring. He attributed these trends to the failure of the community to come to grips with the end of the 1980s resource and enrolment boom. Sustainable development and climate change are now dominant themes, and geoscientists have attempted to respond with multidisciplinary solutions such as earth system science. Itzkovitch called for reduced fragmentation, a common sense of purpose, and a unified voice among Canadian geoscientists. He noted that the IYPE and the IPY initiatives would provide many opportunities to raise the profile of Earth Sciences with decision-makers as well as the public at large. He stated that we will all fail if we are divided, so focussed discussion is needed during the Summit to develop a renewed sense of common purpose.

Harvey Thorleifson, President of CGC and Past President of GAC, described how Canadian geoscientists are responding to a widening array of societal needs--ensuring health by addressing toxic substances and waste disposal, securing our heritage by providing an understanding of land, oceans, life, and the planet as a whole, enhancing our wealth with a supply of energy and materials and guidance for construction, augmenting...

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