International Year of Earth Planet main topics

Update: 17/02/2009

International Year of  Planet Earth - IYPE Corporation has defined 10 scientific thematic areasthat underlines the importance of Earth Sciences for our society.
• Earth Planet in our hands
The Earth scientists have a key-role in the sustainable development building process. It’s our duty, also for next generation, to use the resources in a correct way, without modifying the balance of the Earth system on which depends our life depends.
• Underground water 
Life and health of people is strong linked with the water resource. The request for a clean water is increasing more and more with the growth of world population. That means to provide safe water all population is necessary to ensure supply cleant water with costs not so expensive.
• Natural risk
Every year floods, tsunami, Vulcan, drought, earthquakes provokes thousands of victmis, destroying houses and producing poverty.
• Earth and health
The topic “Earth and health”  or “Medical geology” involves the relations between natural geological factors and human health and animals, but also the improvements of the understanding environmental factors on the geographical distribution of health problem
• Climate change
The story of human being and civilization has been always effected by climate variability. Understanding the climate change will permit to how we developed until nowadays.

• Natural resources
Most of things produced or built and the energy used come from the Earth, that means the  exponential dependence  of modern society from energetic sources mineral and fossil, that are not renewable

• Megalopolis 

In 1950 30% of world population lived in urban cities, in 2000 the percentage was 47% and in 2007 is estimated that residents in urban cities will be about 3.3 billion of people. The phenomena of urbanization is increasing faster, above all in the 3th World, producing at the same challenges and opportunities.

• Inside the Earth
The structure of the Earth and phenomena that occur within it can seem distant from everyday problems, but both are closely linked to the basic needs of humanity, such as availability of water resources, protection against natural disasters and the control of environmental degradation of the Earth.

• Oceans
The oceans, whose scientific exploration began 200 years ago, keep the history of our planet: the ocean sediments, for example, are a true record of climate change over the past 200 million years. Although our knowledge of the oceans have risen and have revolutionized the way we see the world, there is still much to discover, not only as regards the benefits to humanity and the environment can be have from the oceans, but also with regard to risk reduction around the continental margins. About 21% of the world's population, 1,147 million people live within 30 km from the coast

• Soil
Soils are truly amazing. They constitute the fundamental life support systems and human welfare. The soil contains a myriad of microorganisms that preside over a series of biochemical transformations - from fixing atmospheric nitrogen to the decomposition of organic matter - and armies of microscopic animals including the common earthworms, ants and termites. In fact, most of Earth's biodiversity lives in the soil and not only in the surface.