Long Term Impact of IYPE
 Geology Matters, Issue No. 9
Introduction â–  Director's Discourse â–  INFOMAR â–  New Products â–  Landslides Workshop â–  Geological Photography Challenge â–  Long Term Impact of IYPE â–  GSI Customer Centre â– 
GSI Win eGovernment Award â–  Schools Geoscience Competition â–  Diary Dates

Long Term Impact of IYPE

Mary Carter and Enda Gallagher

As most people (hopefully!) will be aware the United Nations had dedicated 2008 as the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE). With buy-in from most countries across the world it became the greatest ever global effort to promote Earth Sciences. In Ireland an All-Island Committee was established to co-ordinate IYPE across the island of Ireland. It initiated and assisted in the development of a series of events to celebrate IYPE, including schools competitions, public lectures, museum exhibits and landscape walks.


Throughout 2008 the geoscience community invested significant energy and resources in ensuring that IYPE was a success and accordingly it is important that it has long-term impact. The objectives of such impact can be summarised as:-

  • Maintaining public awareness of the contribution and value of geoscience;
  • Encouraging an increased intake of excellent geoscience students to ensure society has access to satisfactory knowledge and skills;
  • Ensuring secure and sustained funding for geoscience research, services and education to underpin the retention of vital skills and knowledge.
  • Maintaining awareness among other professionals of the value of geoscience, and the interaction between their science and/or art and ours
  • Living with Climate variability and change, showing the importance of geoscience.


In pursuit of these objectives and after consultation with the All-Island Committee, it is intended that a number of IYPE initiatives will be sustained by GSI into the future. These include:

  • Web-based calendar to ensure geoscience events do not clash and that the impact of each is maximised;
  • Erratics essay competition targeted at Transition Year students and which seeks to stimulate interest in geoscience as a career;
  • A geoscience stand at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. In January 2009 GSI joined forces with the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, the National Museum of Ireland and the Petroleum Affairs Division to produce a large and interesting geoscience stand which was very successfully received by both the students and wider public. It is hoped to repeat this in future years;
  • GSI will maintain a "Geology in your Life" exhibition at its Dublin offices. Various other geology and geology-related exhibitions are also in place in other institutions including Trinity College Dublin and Castlecomer Discovery Park.

The International OneGeology project will continue beyond 2010, and the GSI will continue to take part in it.

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