Virtues of Geological Technology and Vistas for Entrepreneurship

A talk on “Virtues of Geological Technology and Vistas for Entrepreneurship” by Dr. S. M. Ramasamy, Formerly Vice-Chancellor, Gandhigram Rural Institute, (Deemed to be University), Professor of Eminence, Department of Remote Sensing, Bharathidasan University, was conducted as part of the BECH-Awareness Series 12 at the Bharathidasan University by Bharathidasan University Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Career Hub (BECH). In his lecture he explained:

Job creation is a top priority of many economies. As part of achieving this, public policies are designed to foster economic growth. Unfortunately, growth doesn’t always mean employment, as a persistent jobless growth – one of the World Economic Forum’s identified top trends for 2015  stubbornly reminds us.

Technological advances are often blamed for shrinking the job market, as increasingly efficient and automated processes seemingly reduce employment opportunities. But the reasons behind current trends are many and complex. Indeed, while technology lowers the number of repetitive and physically intense jobs, it creates others that didn’t exist before. This is particularly true in the area of an emerging technology that is already transforming our world.

 The technosphere, the interlinked set of communication, transportation, bureaucratic and other systems that act to metabolize fossil fuels and other energy resources, is considered to be an emerging global paradigm, with similarities to the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. The techno sphere is of global extent, exhibits large-scale appropriation of mass and energy resources, shows a tendency to co-opt for its own use information produced by the environment, and is autonomous. Unlike the older paradigms, the techno sphere has not yet evolved the ability to recycle its own waste stream. Unless or until it does so, its status as a paradigm remains provisional. Humans are ‘parts’ of the techno sphere – subcomponents essential for system function. Viewed from the inside by its human parts, the techno sphere is perceived as a derived and controlled construct. Viewed from outside as a geological phenomenon, the techno sphere appears as a quasi-autonomous system whose dynamics constrains the behaviour of its human parts. A geological perspective on technology suggests why strategies to limit environmental damage that consider only the needs of people are likely to fail without parallel consideration of the requirements of technology, especially its need for an abundant supply of energy.

Geoscientists in business are an unusual concept for anyone to digest but it is possible. We are living in a world of climate change and global warming. Humanity needs to find solutions to fight the threads that it created. Earth science can and must seek to discover new ways to protect the environment and its beings. However, as science evolves new professions can be formed.

Therefore, geology can join other sciences forming new disciplines. Yet as science changes, geoscientists can get out in the world to educate and create new concepts. For decades’ geoscience involved around mostly raw materials research. Yet we have reached to talk about extinction on resources.

Therefore, there are many geoscientists, mainly new scientists, that do not have job opportunities or losing jobs. But losing opportunities does not mean we cannot create others.