Paleonet: 13th RCMNS Congress 2009 - Napoli (Italy) - 2-6 September 2009 CALL FOR ABSTRACTS - Humans as geological agents

[Fabrizio Lirer]

*13th Congress RCMNS (Regional Committee on Mediterranean Neogene 
Stratigraphy), Naples (Italy), 2-6 September 2009*

Dear colleagues,
We would like to draw your attention to the RCMNS session on Humans as 
geological agents, which Mauro Cremaschi/ /and Andrea Mindszenty/ /are 
hosting during the RCMNS Meeting in Naples, Italy (2 -6 September 2009):
The deadline of abstract submission is *May 30^th 2009.*

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*T8 Humans as geological agents/ /*

convenors: Mauro Cremaschi/ (mauro.cremaschi at unimi.it 
<mailto:mauro.cremaschi at unimi.it> -Milano University), /Andrea 
Mindszenty/ (andrea at iris.geobio.elte.hu -Eotvos Lorànd University of 
Budapest)/

The present global warming  is drawing  the attention of a broad 
audience on the role of climate change in the fate of civilisations. 
Climate affected indeed  History and Civilization, but  its 
consequences, especially since the "Neolithic Revolution", were  
mitigated or exacerbated by the activity of humans which acted with 
increasing efficiency on the geosphere, affecting  ,very early in time, 
the global climate itself, contributing to the input of greenhouse 
gases  into the atmosphere.
Humanity can be thus considered  a victim, but also a causing factor of 
the climate change and of its consequences. The possibility of mitigate 
them  is linked to a more conscious assumption of responsibility, from 
both individuals as well as from nations, towards the environment. This 
argument is far from being universally agreed on, since important 
authors believe that planetary dynamics, and not man,  are at the main 
cause of the global warming.
Critical strategic choices in development policy  depend from this 
ambiguity which might prevent for the future  those catastrophes that 
occurred in different places and in different times to human 
communities. In order to resolve this ambiguity we must be able to 
understand when, how and how much the relationship between man and 
environment ceased to be unidirectional (climate influences the 
development of societies) and became dialectic (climate and human 
societies are mutually influenced and determine the status of the 
environment).
Case studies dealing with this topics,  concerning  man induced  
perturbations on the  geosphere, adaptations and collapse  of human 
groups and civilisations  to climatic  or environmental changes, are 
encouraged  from early days  of the species  up to the
advent of  complex societies in the  pre-industrial times (average Anno 
Domini) and beyond.

In case of interest, please send the abstract to RCMNS Secretary 
Fabrizio Lirer (fabrizio.lirer at iamc.cnr.it 
<mailto:fabrizio.lirer at iamc.cnr.it>) before the May 30, 2009.

With our best regards,

Mauro Cremaschi/ /and Andrea Mindszenty/ /

To learn more about *13th Congress RCMNS 2009*:
*http://www.geomare.na.cnr.it/RCMNS.html *and click on *Next RCMNS 
Meeting* from the side *Menu*

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Fabrizio Lirer
Istituto Ambiente Marino Costiero (IAMC)-CNR
Calata Porta di Massa, interno Porto di Napoli
80133, Napoli
Italy
Tel:+39 81 5423851
Fax:+39 81 5423888
E-mail: fabrizio.lirer at iamc.cnr.it
Secretary of the Regional Committee
on Mediterranean Neogene Stratigraphy (RCMNS)
http://www.geomare.na.cnr.it/RCMNS.html
Secretary of the Italian Commission on Stratigraphy (CIS)
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