Although the United Nations has officially designated 2008 as the International Year of Planet Earth, the 3-year celebration actually began a year ago and will continue through December 2009. The program’s ultimate goal: “to build safer, healthier and wealthier societies around the globe” through a better appreciation for and harnessing of Earth sciences. The UN describes this focus on the interrelatedness of climate, natural resources, and living communities as helping to support its mission to foster sustainable use of Earth’s materials and “better planning and management to reduce risks for the world’s inhabitants.”
