insnet foundation
 
September 3 2010
United Nations | sustainability | 2008-02-13 | print |
Source: Vita Europe

UNESCO launches the International Year of Planet Earth



On February 12, the UNESCO launched the International Year of Planet Earth in Paris
The International Year of Planet Earth aims to capture people's imagination with the exciting knowledge we possess about our planet, and to see that knowledge used to make the Earth a safer, healthier and wealthier place for our children and grandchildren International Year of Planet Earth 2007-2009.

What is the International Year of Planet Earth?
The International Year of Planet Earth aims to ensure greater and more effective use by society of the knowledge accumulated by the world's 400,000 Earth scientists. The Year's ultimate goal of helping to build safer, healthier and wealthier societies around the globe is expressed in the Year's subtitle ‘Earth science for Society'.
The International Year runs from January 2007 to December 2009, the central year of the triennium (2008) having been proclaimed by the UN General Assembly as the UN Year. The UN sees the Year as a contribution to their sustainable development targets as it promotes wise (sustainable) use of Earth materials and encourages better planning and management to reduce risks for the world's inhabitants.

Who is behind the International Year?
The International Year of Planet Earth is a joint initiative by UNESCO and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). Twelve Founding Partners, 26 Associate Partners and a growing number of International Partner organisations from all continents and representing all major geoscientific communities in the world, have embarked on this initiative. The Year also enjoys the full political support of 191 UN countries. By the end of 2007, National Committees will have been established in some 70 countries and regions in the world.

How does it work?
The main activities of the International Year of Planet Earth operate within its Science and Outreach programmes. Funding for projects in both programmes is sought from industry, Foundations and governments worldwide. Both programmes essentially operate in a response, or ‘bottomup' mode.

The Science Programme consists of 10 broad, societally relevant and multidisciplinary themes: health, climate, groundwater, ocean, soils, deep Earth, megacities, hazards, resources, and life. Brochures on each of these themes are available in hard copy, and can be downloaded from the Year's website. Scientists from all countries of the world are invited to submit Expressions of Interest (EoIs) dedicated to specific questions within each theme.

More info:
http://yearofplanetearth.org



Read this and more at: Vita Europe




The Terra international reserve currency is the basis of the Terra International Monetary Union - the TIMU system. Each nation will have its carbon account become a line in their balance of payments which will be administered by the proposed World Central Bank (WCB), roughly in the same way as the European Central Bank does for the European Monetary Union. This bank with a democratically chosen Board of Governors will have two additional funct continue..

Trust and confidence are the socio-psychological attributes that everyone  considers to be essential to get the local and global economies going. How do you build them if the population does not have confidence in their politicians, let alone continue..

There is an enormous amount of pain and suffering of millions of humans and other sentient fellow creatures on account of the synchronous crises in the global financial system and in the change of the climate. This unnecessary suffering will continue continue..

Mesoamerica's salamanders appear to be joining the global decline in amphibian species, like frogs, adding to the evidence of ecological change around the planet. "What's happening to salamanders and other amphibians may be a strong l continue..

Several of the 17 species of penguin worldwide are in trouble: they face the very real possibility of extinction in this century. Most people love penguins. Therefore, most people are in trouble, goes the logic.

It may seem a reach to sugg continue..

The ancient capital of Kyoto conjures up many images among international tourists, ranging from quiet rock gardens and temples to performing geisha. But since 1997, when it hosted the United Nations conference that forged the agreement on greenhouse continue..
Disclaimer: Information on iNSnet is collected and edited with great care and published for educational purposes on the subject of sustainable development. Nevertheless the iNSnet Foundation does not accept any liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or any other quality of information and data published or linked to. © iNSnet 2009