A report published last May 6 about the desperate search by many municipalities for new sources of water to deal with the drought, in which it was explained that in some cases they are resorting to saurian, has surprised and disturbed geologists and other earth science professionals.
The dean of the Spanish Conference of Geology Deans (CEDG), Albert Solé, has sent the newspaper a harsh letter signed by this body and 14 other entities (including professional associations and university masters) in which they regret that the daily has "given voice to the water healers (saurins, dowsers, pouaters or rod makers), when these are people who use divinatory or pseudoscientific methods", without a "scientific basis" or the "minimum rigor".
The writing, which is entitled Hydrogeology, the science that studies underground water, emphasizes that hydrogeologists are those who, after completing university studies and even a master's degree, are capable of "applying the scientific method" to locate water sources and evaluate the most sustainable management of these water resources. Against this scientific approach, the article contrasts the risk "to health and the environment" posed by "misleading pseudoscientific methods".
Esteve Giralt, author of the report, is clear that to report on water management "the fundamental thing is the scientific basis" and emphasizes that his information included the warning messages of these accredited specialists: from the first statement of a hydrogeology company (which warned that the methods of the saurians "are not scientific or verifiable") until the closing paragraphs that collected the point of view of the dean of the CEDG. Nevertheless, Giralt explains that "there are councils that hire saurians, this is happening and it's a reality that I didn't want to stop showing". Thus, the photograph that illustrated the report was that of a saurin, which in the text related the details of the discovery of a well, something that the geologists equated in their writing to reporting "on the cure of cancer ” giving “voice to healers”.
The section head of Viure, Sara Sans, also defends that, in this particular report, this reality about municipalities that turn to the Saurians was reflected and emphasizes that it would not have been done without contextualizing it with those who, for the newspaper, are the authorized voice: that of scientists and accredited professionals.
