Mt Warning: Freedom of speech missing at GSA

Freedom of speech missing at GSA

crossposted from linkedin

I have been a member of the Geological Society of Australia since the mid 1990s but I resigned today after the Society's leadership once again censored a letter I had sent to the society's newsletter (The Australian Geologist - TAG). This dealt with the pending ban on public access to the summit of Mt Warning in northern NSW, perhaps the largest well-preserved ancient volcanic caldera in the southern hemisphere.

The quarterly newsletter is the main avenue members can share geologically relevant issues. The editorial policy of TAG at the time I sent the letter read as follows:

TAG ed policy

I gather the policy and TAG itself is currently under review, apparently: "The review will be managed by eminent (well respected) independent scientists, led by a high-profile member (e.g. one who is a fellow of the AAS)". I would have thought someone with an open mind and a desire to uphold free speech and scientific discussion would be adequate.

My letter intent on garnering member support to petition the Minister to preserve the geological heritage revealed by the Mt Warning summit walk, which was sent well before the publication deadline, read as follows:

Mt Warning Summit Walk

Access to the spectacular views from the summit of one of the biggest ancient shield volcanoes in the southern hemisphere - Mt Warning in northern NSW - is under threat. The summit is visited by over 100000 keen bushwalkers annually. Many walk up to catch the sunrise - the summit is the first place to catch the sun's rays each day in eastern Australia. The views over the caldera complex, subtropical forests and to the coast are outstanding. The walking track to the summit of Mt Warning was established in 1909. It has not been well maintained by NSW NPWS over recent years and NPWS are now using safety, environment and culture as excuses to close the summit track. Similar to the unjustified reasons used to ban public access at Ayers Rock, those excuses do not stack up. The safety excuses are rubbish. NPWS claim the the summit chain is unsafe but it's not actually required to complete the climb and it could be repaired or upgraded for a small cost that could be funded by charging a small fee for access. The environmental problems to do with visitor's rubbish and toileting are unfounded and manageable. And the cultural claims are contested and do not make sense in a rational world. In 2007 custodian of the mountain Ngaraakwal Elder Marlene Boyd RIP stated: "I do not oppose the public climbing of Mt Warning - how can the public experience the spiritual significance of this land if they do not climb the summit and witness creation!" yet this message has never been promoted by NPWS. Please help keep this wonderful experience of the natural world open for all by writing to the Minister of the Environmental in New South Wales Hon Matt Kean MP. Let's ensure all Australians and international visitors can access this remarkable volcanic landscape now and in the future. office@kean.minister.nsw.gov.au

Rejected!

I had no response from the TAG editor for some time, so I tried the email link on the page that directed me to the editor. Turns out it had not been updated and the person had not been in the role for many years. This however prompted a reply from the society CEO who informed me that my letter would not be published but had been passed on to the NSW NPWS and their reply said it was all about safety and the Bundjalung law. I wrote back explaining I had visited the summit and the safety claims especially those to do with my area of expertise (Landslide risk assessment) were in error, and that NPWS had ignored the true custodians who have no problem with visitors climbing. Recalling what happened to my last letter I wrote:

I am concerned again that GSA is not listening to experienced members and not canvassing for support of experiences of the natural world that provide geological insights. The Mt Warning summit walk provides a wonderful opportunity for geological education and the so-called premier geological society in the country fails in its duty to lend any support to it. This is unacceptable. I am expecting GSA to publish my letter in full, or return my current membership fees and accept my resignation from the society.

After a few weeks came the reply my letter would not be published "the issue with space and content". Today a cheque arrived...

No more nonsense!

That editorial policy again...

In general, submissions to TAG are rarely rejected or censored, as GSA members have a right to express views. In particular, all letters and most reviews should be accepted in principle, provided they meet word limits and do not contain defamatory language. 

So what happened to members' "right to express views"? What happened to the GSA executive not getting involved in editorial decisions?

Freedom of speech and intellectual inquiry lie at the heart of science but it's clear by the actions of the current GSA executive group in New South Wales these concepts have become a foreign language. The Society's laudable scientific mission has become corrupted by post-modernism, political correctness, and identity politics. It seems your politics, gender, race, and sexual preferences are now more important to the GSA than your scientific contributions, facts or the strength of your argument. GSA has a mission to: Promote the understanding and importance of Earth Science, and the status of Earth Scientists. Yet in not leading its support to help save the Ayers Rock climb and now preventing members from communicating about the looming ban on awe and wonder at Mt Warning it has sided with myth and superstition over logic and reason.

In ruling on the unfair dismissal of Professor Peter Ridd from James Cook University the Honourable Angelo Vasta QC stated in 2019: In the search for truth, it is an unfortunate consequence that some people may feel denigrated, offended, hurt or upset. That is why intellectual freedom is so important. It allows academics to express their opinions without fear of reprisals. It allows a Charles Darwin to break free of the constraints of creationism. It allows an Albert Einstein to break free of the constraints of Newtonian physics. It allows the human race to question conventional wisdom in the never-ending search for knowledge and truth. And that, at its core, is what higher learning is about. 

This is how we have advanced as a civilisation. Free intellectual inquiry and debate remains integral to the sciences and integral to the proper functioning of our society. How some can forget this and lecture others about scientific integrity and ethics is beyond me.  

Geoscientists and their professional societies have an obligation to educate the public about the geology of the world around them and look after our collective geological heritage so others may visit it first hand and learn from it. Science and knowledge does not grow by being worried about causing offence, it grows by free and open inquiry, by challenging ingrained belief systems and testing new ideas against observations and facts. Causing offence is one of the hazards of being a good scientist, and if you are not offending someone you are probably not doing your job properly. 

Mt Warning should be a showcase for teaching the public about volcanology. The summit provides 360 degree views from what was once the main volcanic vent structure with the original summit crater once standing 1000m higher. The dramatic caldera margins visible from the summit formed by interlayered basalt and rhyolite lava flows and their eroded landscape now covered in lush rain forest provide a perfect backdrop to provide an unparalleled lesson in volcanic and geomorphological processes. Due to pandering to ideology, this will not be possible.

I came close to resigning from the GSA in 2019 when another letter I submitted dealing with facts about the Ayers Rock climb was censored. This was in response to a highly personal attack on me GSA allowed to be published (see Intellectual freedoms sold out debating the Climb). I held out in the hope things might change, but they have only got worse and there is little hope of recovery. Good Riddance to bad rubbish!

For geological professionals outside academia, I have found in recent years GSA has had little to offer. My recommendation for anyone considering joining GSA while it is in the grip of this PC nonsense is to consider joining one of the following: Australian Institute of Geoscientists, AUSIMM or the Australian Geomechanics Society. You'll get much better value for money!