 UN
Declares 2008 “International Year Of Planet Earth”
International Year of Planet
Earth
The United Nations General Assembly, meeting in New York,
has proclaimed the year 2008 to be the United Nations International
Year of Planet Earth. The Year’s activities will span
the three years 2007-2009.
The Year’s purpose, encapsulated in it strapline “Earth
sciences for society”, is to:
• Reduce risks for society caused by natural and human-induced
hazards
• Reduce health problems by improving understanding of
the medical aspects of Earth science
• Discover new natural resources and make them available
in a sustainable manner
• Build safer structures and expand urban areas, utilizing
natural subsurface conditions
• Determine the non-human factor in climatic change
• Enhance understanding of the occurrence of natural
resources so as to contribute to efforts to reduce political
tension
• Detect deep and poorly accessible groundwater resources
• Improve understanding of the evolution of life
• Increase interest in the Earth sciences in society
at large
• Encourage more young people to study Earth science
in university
The Year aims to raise $20 million from industry and governments
and will spend half on co-funding research, and half on Outreach
activities. It will be the biggest ever international effort
to promote the Earth sciences.
Apart from researchers, who are expected to benefit under
the Science Programme, the principal target groups for the
Year’s broader messages are:
• Decision makers and politicians who need to be better
informed about the how Earth scientific knowledge can be used
for sustainable development
• The voting public, which needs to know how Earth scientific
knowledge can contribute to a better society
• Fellow geoscientists, who are very knowledgeable about
various aspects of the Earth but who need help in using their
knowledge for the benefit of the world’s population.
The research themes of the year, set out in 10 science prospectuses
were chosen for their societal relevance, multidisciplinarity
and outreach potential. The Year has 12 Founding Partners,
23 Associate Partners, and is backed politically by 97 countries
representing 87% of the world’s population. The Year
was promoted politically at UNESCO and at the United Nations
in New York by the People’s Republic of Tanzania.
The Year is now open to Expressions of Interest from researchers
within each of its 10 themes. The Outreach programme of the
year is also now open to expressions of interest, and will
work in a similar way by receiving and responding to bids
for support from individuals and organisations worldwide.
The Year’s Project Leader, former IUGS President Professor
Eduardo F J de Mulder, said:
“Around the shores of the Indian Ocean, some 230,000
people are dead because the world’s governments have
not yet grasped the need to use geoscientists’ knowledge
and understanding of the Earth more effectively.
“Yet that knowledge is readily available in the practical
experience and publications of some half a million Earth scientists
all over the world, a professional community that is ready
and willing to contribute to a safer, healthier and wealthier
society if called upon by politicians and decision makers.
“The International Year of Planet Earth (2007-2009)
aims to contribute to the improvement of everyday life, especially
in the less developed countries, by promoting the societal
potential of the world’s Earth scientists.”
The International Year of Planet Earth has been in planning
since 2001.
Click
here for a complete list of books about planet Earth
|
