Celebration of Planet Earth Gets Underway In Houston Next Week

Newswise — The city of Houston, Texas, well known for its role in space launches, will soon be the site of another kind of launch: the official United States kick-off of International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE). The celebration begins 5-9 October at the George R. Brown Convention Center at a joint meeting of the Geological Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies, hosted by the Geological Society of Houston.

"IYPE is a celebration of the earth sciences," said Larry Woodfork, Chairman of the Board of Directors of International Year of Planet Earth. "It encourages use of the research and vast store of knowledge held by geoscientists around the globe to make Earth a safer, healthier, and more prosperous place for humankind."

The joint meeting in Houston includes ten plenary sessions and numerous talks addressing scientific themes of International Year of Planet Earth. Topics include climate change, global energy supplies, the impending global water crisis, and natural and human-induced hazards.

Three sessions of wide general interest will be webcast live from the meeting:

The Impending Global Water Crisis: Geology, Soils, Agronomy, and International SecurityE.T. & Vam York Distinguished ASA Lectureship Monday, 6 October, 5:00 - 7:00 pm CDT

Target Atmospheric CO2: Where Should Humanity Aim?James E. Hansen, NASA Goddard Institute for Space StudiesTuesday, 7 October, 12:00 - 1:15 pm CDT

Understanding Evolution: A Public ForumTuesday, 7 October, 7:00 - 9:00 pm CDT

Links to these webcast events, plus details on other IYPE highlighted talks and events, are available at http://www.geosociety.org/IYPE/08houstonJAM-hilite.htm.

International Year of Planet Earth, spanning 2007-2009, is a joint initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Union of Geological Societies (IUGS). According to Woodfork, IYPE is the largest global effort of its kind to promote the earth sciences. Seventy-three countries are participating with research projects and education and outreach events.

For more information on International Year of Planet Earth, visit http://www.geosociety.org/IYPE/index.htm.

For interviews during the joint meeting with Eduardo de Mulder, Executive Director, IYPE Secretariat, or Larry Woodfork, Chair, IYPE Board of Directors, contact Wesley Hill at +1-720-982-9163. Beginning Saturday, 4 October, messages for Ms. Hill may also be left at the onsite newsroom in the George R. Brown Convention Center, +1-713-853-8329. For more information on the joint meeting, visit https://www.acsmeetings.org/.