AAPG - European Region News
International Year of Panet Earth
2007-2009
Francisco Porturas, AAPG Representative to IYPE
The official Global launch event of the ‘International Year of Planet Earth’ was held in Paris at the UNESCO headquarters, . Paris, 12-13 February 2008.
The attendance was great, more than 1000 delegates from about 65 countries together with more than 200 young students from around the world.
The “International Year of Planet Earth” is becoming a worldwide success, with several regional events and engaging on a voluntary basis hundreds of people and local communities.
The main tasks and challenges are:
- The outreach programe, where the focus is public awareness of global benefits and aspects given by geosciences.
- The legacy, in the form of high scientific content.
- Geoscience research in the world regions.
The Paris Declaration
Preamble
Recalling that the General Assembly of the United Nations has declared 2008 as the International Year of Planet Earth;
Considering life depends on a self-sustaining Earth system that is unique, diverse and ever-changing;
Emphasizing that all decisions on global sustainability should be informed by the wealth of existing and potential Earth sciences’ knowledge;
Noting that the wealth of Earth-sciences’ related information available on issues like climate, water and other natural resources, energy, health, soils, the ocean, deep earth, natural hazards or life itself remain largely unknown to the public and often untapped by policy and decision makers;
Convinced that the IYPE and the Earth sciences can play a significant role in promoting the sustainable use of Earth resources and can provide valuable contributions to society through the UNESCO-led United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development and the promotion of UN Millennium Development Goals, and
Persuaded that creating respect for Planet Earth, raising public awareness of the vulnerability and potential of the Earth’s components and mitigating natural hazards will provide the basis for a more peaceful, prosperous and fulfilled community of nations;
Therefore, we
- Urge decision makers of all nations to make freely available and utilize the wealth of knowledge about our Planet Earth and to encourage the development of new knowledge and technologies for the benefit of developing and developed nations alike;
- Encourage Earth science communities, as well as public organizations and private industry, to support this initiative for the development of new knowledge and to develop strategies that will reduce the impact of natural hazards and guide sustainable development to meet the current needs of our expanding global society and of generations to come;
By
- Improving access to Earth science knowledge through revised national educational systems and enhanced research capacity in Earth and Space Science institutions and universities;
- Producing global, digital and publicly available information on System Earth such as “OneGeology” and “UN Spatial Data Infrastructure” (UNSDI) projects;
- Promoting awareness of the structure, evolution, beauty and diversity of the Earth system and its human cultures inscribed in landscapes, through the establishment of “Geoparks”, biosphere reserves and World Heritage Sites as a public tool for conservation and development;
- Investing in Earth monitoring mechanisms (both remote and in-situ) for the purpose of predicting large-scale changes in the Earth’s spheres using and enhancing existing global Earth observation systems;
- Establishing an International Research Centre on Earth sciences for sustainable development, and
- Producing books, DVDs and other media tools that will make Earth scientific knowledge more accessible to the public and provide a lasting legacy for the IYPE.
Geosong
You can listen to a beta version of the song via a website. The music and lyrics has been written by Anna Moot's and the song was produced in Paris by M-A.S. Productions
Mother Earth
- You’ve been using me for centuries
I’ve always been so resourceful
Creating wealth, building cities
Providing raw material
- Today my reserves are running low
Both in and out of sight
We have to be sustainable
Restore the balance, make it right
- This planet, my people
Come together
Look after this world
- This planet, my people
Come as one
Look after my earth
- This planet, my people
Come together
Watch my water
- This planet, my people
Keep my air clean
It really matters
- My surface is shaken by hurricanes
My ground is squeaking, u call it quakes
I’m either dry or flooding you
I feel there’s nothing I can do
- You have such a knowledge, please use it right
To keep u and me healthy
I’m confident you’ll see the light
I’ll be much safer, make it right
Chorus x2
Make the Earth a better place for humankind – Earth Sciences for Society