HR: 17:15h
AN: ED14A-06    [Abstracts]
TI: The 33rd IGC, Oslo, Norway 2008; Geoscience World Congress 2008
AU: * Solheim, A
EM: as@ngi.no
AF: Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, P.O.Box 3930, Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, NO-0806, Norway
AU: Bjoerlykke, A
EM: arne.bjorlykke@ngu.no
AF: Geological Survey of Norway, Leiv Erikssons Vei, Trondheim, NO-7491, Norway
AB: The International Geological Congress (IGC) has been arranged every four years since 1878. During the previous Congress in Florence, Italy, 2004, the Nordic countries were awarded the organisation of the 33rd IGC, which will be held in Oslo, Norway, August 6-14, 2008. We expect between 6000 and 9000 participants to the Congress, which also includes workshops, short-courses, and business meetings, as well as more than 50 pre –and post Congress excursions. The Congress is organised under the umbrella of IUGS and the patronage of UNESCO. The Congress will run with 40 parallel sessions and cover the whole width of the geosciences. About 500 symposia will run in 40 parallel sessions. There will be a major poster session, as well as a large exhibition (Geoexpo 2008), in which industry and other organisations will be able to exhibit their products and services. A number of international affiliations have announced their interest in organising annual business meetings during the Congress. In addition, a number of workshops and short-courses will be arranged. More than 50 excursions are planned for the two weeks before the Congress and one week after. These run in all the Nordic Countries, as well as in NW Russia, Ukraine, Greenland, Svalbard, and the Faeroes Islands. These excursions will give the participants a first-hand insight into Nordic Geosciences, as well as the Nordic natural and cultural heritage. Two major international events are important for the Congress. The "International Polar Year" (IPY) and the United Nations' "International Year of Planet Earth" (IYPE) are both running in the period 2007-2009. The Congress focuses on many of the main themes of IYPE, with major emphasis on "Geoscience and Society". Seven major themes will be treated in full-day plenary sessions of lectures given by invited lecturers. These plenary sessions will have a scientific part in the morning, a key-note lecture at lunch-time, and a societal part in the afternoon, followed by a plenary debate. The themes comprise Biodiversity and the geo-environment; Climate change, past, present, future; Geohazards and human behaviour; Water, human health, and the environment; Mineral resources in a fast growing global economy; The energy race – what will be the future energy mix?; Earth and beyond – synergies between Earth and planetary sciences. Nordic ministers are invited to participate in panel debates and press conferences related to these "Themes of the day". In relation to the IPY, the Arctic will receive particular attention, which is important since the effects of climate change is seen first and expected to be largest in these regions. With its focus on climate issues, the Congress will contribute with state-of-the-art science and thereby to the general debate on these issues. Information on all aspects of the programme iscontinuously updated on the Congress website: www.33igc.org.
UR: http://www.33igc.org
DE: 1699 General or miscellaneous
DE: 6620 Science policy (0485)
DE: 9399 General or miscellaneous
DE: 9699 General or miscellaneous
DE: 9815 Notices and announcements
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting