Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
respondents lived. Results showed that out of the 25 symptoms listed in the survey,
7 symptoms and 3 acute diseases (out of 14) had statistically significant relation-
ships to the proximity to biosolid dumping locations. Like Czajkowski et al. who
link location to processes and phenomena, Rochon et al. explore how geogra-
phy is related to public health, environmental conditions, and disaster phenomena.
They present a review of geotechnologies and its applications for public health and
disaster management, including the use of remote sensing for identifying habitat
conducive for infectious disease vectors, the integration of GPS and HIV/AIDS
testing devices, as well as a review of relevant hydrologic models. The review
explores how geotechnologies can be can generate data and information, which then
lends, ultimately, to spatially informed management decisions and decision making
practices and policies.
1.3 Closing Remarks
While the applied approach is a strength of the topic, we are also aware that there
are many more opportunities, methods and resources on which physical and social
scientists can collaborate, particularly with regard to environmental management.
Multidisciplinary collaborations cannot be underscored enough, as the literature is
(unfortunately) littered with examples showcasing research that negates spatial pat-
terns or processes, conclusions that disregard the location or geography in question,
or policies that misinterpret intricate findings or complex results. Of these examples,
the latter is of most concern to us, as there exists the propensity for poor decision
making to occur among scientists (physical and social), public servants (federal to
local), and policy makers due to misunderstandings in data and conclusions. Indeed,
the fundamental flaw that scientists (social and physical), public servants (federal to
local), and other interested parties habitually partake in is the practice of talking past
each other rather than with each other.
We believe that geotechnologies help bridge the policy vs. science divides
by helping both policy makers and scientists to make sense of the increasingly
complex interface that exists between the human (built) and physical (natural) land-
scapes. We are encouraged by the applied examples in which geoeotechnologies
tackle unique or complex problems; but moreso, we applaud those that integrate
data from sometimes disparate sources, use sophisticated programs and analy-
sis, and then make every effort to simplify the findings in ways that maintain
scientific validity yet are logical and meaningful to decision makers. A future direc-
tion for scientists (both academic and non-academic) who study environmental
or natural resources is to continue working in concert with each other and with
those outside the science realm, so that the end result has the broader impacts
and influence necessary for environmental management and policy decisions and
practices.
Regrettably, no single volume can do adequate justice in presenting the breadth of
geotechnology applications used in and for environmental management. Although
we believe that this topic contributes to this increasingly important body of work,
