Issue date: 04 Feb, 2008
The International Polar Year and the International Year of Planet Earth are the themes that feature in the Sciences of the Earth and the Universe series.
The year 2008 has been declared by the General Assembly of the UNO as International Year of the Planet Earth. The proposal was made by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and the UNESCO to make society aware of the importance that the Sciences of the Earth have in everyday life when applying the knowledge of the world’s geoscientists avoiding many of the human tragedies caused by natural phenomenon such as earthquakes and tsunamis. Amongst the aims of this declaration is the drop in the risks caused by natural disasters; the discovery of natural resources and making them accessible in a sustainable way; the contribution in town planning of new developments; promotion amongst the young of the the study of the Sciences of the Earth and the increase the budget for research work. The stamp depicts a stone, apparently barren, from which comes out a green shoot expressing the hope of life.
2007-2008 has been declared International Polar Year, a large scientific programme focused on the Arctic and the Antarctic from March 2007 to March 2009 involving over 200 projects, with thousands of scientists from over 60 nations examining a wide range of physical, biological and social research topics. Some of their objectives are: Determine the present environmental status of the polar regions, Investigate the frontiers of science in the polar regions, to advance in the understanding on all scales of the links and interactions between polar regions and the rest of the globe and to investigate the cultural, historical and social processes that shape the sustainability of circumpolar human societies. It is also an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate, follow, and get involved with scientific researches. The stamp depicts a globe with two ends, the North and South Poles, through which air can be blown into it.
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