New articles published in the Journal of Geoethics and Social Geosciences: solar geoengineering; letter-writing journal club; conservation of water resources in Ghana
The Journal of Geoethics and Social Geosciences (JGSG) published several new articles in the Issue 1(2), 2026 and the Special Issue 2, 2026.
We remind you that this journal is diamond open access. No Article Processing Charge (APC) is requested to authors and no fee to readers.
These new articles can be freely download and can be cited as follows:
Daly T. and Landes X. (2026). Understanding “mission-driven research” in solar geoengineering as a moral relationship. Journal of Geoethics and Social Geosciences, 1(2), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.4401/jgsg-122
Abstract:
Against an investigator-driven or curiosity-driven framework, several authors have put forward a Mission-Driven Research (MDR) model for Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) research. The proposal makes sense from the perspective of funding allocation and research efficiency but also raises questions about who can legitimately attribute a mission to SRM researchers, the content of the mission itself, and procedural issues about the identification and elaboration of the mission. In this piece, we concentrate on a narrower aspect. We claim that, due to the nature of SRM research, its risks, the seriousness of the problem it aims to tackle (potentially catastrophic climate change), as well as populations’ vulnerability towards both climate change and SRM, researchers to whom a mission is attributed enter into a moral (not legal) fiduciary relationship with SRM research stakeholders. Though we do not perform an exhaustive moral analysis of this relationship, we contend that its demanding nature needs to be properly acknowledged and taken into account.
Keywords:
Solar radiation modification, Solar geoengineering, Mission-driven research, Ethics, Governance
Free download:
___________
Daly T. (2026). The letter-writing journal club as an interdisciplinary pedagogical practice in geosciences and geoethics. Journal of Geoethics and Social Geosciences, 1(2), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.4401/jgsg-133
Abstract:
This article describes a letter-writing journal club undertaken with an interdisciplinary group of students and junior researchers on an international project on the ethics and governance of solar geoengineering research. It connected critical reading, interdisciplinary discussion, collaborative writing, and direct participation in peer-reviewed scholarly debate, leading to the publication of a letter and a follow-up reply and positioning junior researchers from Latin America as visible contributors to the peer-reviewed literature. This article aims to raise awareness of the pedagogical value of letter-writing initiatives in the geosciences and related fields.
Keywords:
Geoethics, Geoscience, Journal Club, Letter to the editor, Geoengineering
Free download:
___________
Ankamah B., Addai M.O., Kwayisi D., Asamoah Y. and Kazapoe R.W. (2026). Evaluating geoscience campaigns in the conservation of water resources in the Western Region, Ghana. Journal of Geoethics and Social Geosciences, 2(Special Issue), 1-35. https://doi.org/10.4401/jgsg-100
Abstract:
The Western Region of Ghana faces persistent water resource issues due to pollution, illegal mining, unsustainable land use, and degrading ecological integrity, public health, and livelihoods. Though geoscience-based water conservation campaigns have been initiated to remedy these issues, limited empirical data exist on their effectiveness in encouraging the conservation of water. This study assessed the impacts of these geoscience-based water conservation campaigns on water resource conservation in the area by evaluating their approaches, stakeholder involvement, and conservation results. A mixed-methods (quantitative and qualitative) design was used. Quantitative data from 250 survey respondents representing local communities, government agencies, NGOs, and industry stakeholders were collected. The qualitative data were obtained through 17 semi-structured interviews conducted both in person and online. The qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis to discover major patterns and themes, whereas the quantitative data were analysed in SPSS version 27. Results demonstrated that geoscience-based water conservation campaigns led to significantly increased public awareness of water conservation, greater community engagement, and the shaping of policy dialogues. Nonetheless, they were limited in scope by poor finances, the enforcement of environmental codes and cooperation between sectors. The campaigns with local knowledge and community-based monitoring yielded more sustainable behavioural changes, which was more sustainable. The research recommends integrating geoscience-based water conservation campaigns into the regional water governance framework, reinforcing coordinated planning among stakeholders and supporting regular financing. The findings could bolster the conservation and protection of water resources in the area and further improved by implementing stronger enforcement measures, expanding community surveillance, and integrating them into the national water policy.
Keywords:
Geoscience, Geoscience-based water conservation campaigns, Water resources conservation, Water pollution and scarcity, Stakeholder engagement, Ghana
Free download:
IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics:
IUGS - Commission on Geoethics:
EGU - Geoethics Working Group:
CIPSH - Chair on Geoethics:
I played Block Blast while waiting for a community kitchen to finish washing a batch of reusable trays. Someone stacked the clean ones on the drying rack.