Earthly Business

United Nations declares 2008 International Year of Planet Earth

Posted at 4:19 PM on 31 Dec 2007

When the clock strikes midnight tonight and you kiss your nearest partygoer in drunken revelry, the world will be entering the United Nations-declared official International Year of Planet Earth. (The IYoPE technically lasts from January 2007 to December 2009, which makes it a three-year-long International Year, but why quibble?) In 2008, the U.N. will also celebrate sanitation, languages, and the humble potato, which the U.N. proclaims "produces more nutritious food more quickly, on less land, and in harsher climates than any other major crop." Other folks have also deemed 2008 the year to laud frogs, reefs, and spaceships; Greece will cheer feta in 2008, while Australia will salute boy scouts and engineering teams. Cheshire, England, will root for gardens, and the European Union will talk up international dialogue. Happy New Year!

sources: Nature

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	Read more about: news \| United Nations \| all of these topics Tools: print \| email \| write to the editor \| subscribe \| RSS Share: digg \| hugg \| stumbleupon \| reddit \| newsvine \| fark \| facebook Bookmark: del.icio.us \| google \| yahoo Earthly Business United Nations declares 2008 International Year of Planet Earth Posted at 4:19 PM on 31 Dec 2007 When the clock strikes midnight tonight and you kiss your nearest partygoer in drunken revelry, the world will be entering the United Nations-declared official International Year of Planet Earth. (The IYoPE technically lasts from January 2007 to December 2009, which makes it a three-year-long International Year, but why quibble?) In 2008, the U.N. will also celebrate sanitation, languages, and the humble potato, which the U.N. proclaims "produces more nutritious food more quickly, on less land, and in harsher climates than any other major crop." Other folks have also deemed 2008 the year to laud frogs, reefs, and spaceships; Greece will cheer feta in 2008, while Australia will salute boy scouts and engineering teams. Cheshire, England, will root for gardens, and the European Union will talk up international dialogue. Happy New Year! sources: Nature ADVERTISING POLICY < Previous \| Next > Comments: There are no comments. Be the first to post! You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have a Gristmill account, log in below. If you don't have a Gristmill account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five. Username: Password: Forgot your password? Enter your username and click: The comments of Grist users reflect the opinions of those individuals only, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Grist, its staff, its board members, their psychotherapists, or their aestheticians. Got it?	Also in Grist The Death of Environmentalist How to green your funeral. If By Clean You Mean Filthy Is clean coal an oxymoron? Umbra clears up the confusion. iSave When you're not guzzling iBeer, conserve gas with new iPhone apps. Water on the Brain Author Elizabeth Royte spills about the bottled water boom and backlash. The Week's Most Popular Viewed Commented Emailed Ask Umbra on sea-level rise Ask Umbra on storing produce If you're going to eat meat, you can't shy away from the whole beast Blogosphere responds reservedly to Gore's call for 100 percent renewable electricity Author Elizabeth Royte chats about the bottled-water boom and backlash Are biofuels a core solution? Time to stop using the phrase 'renewable energy' Animal rights group called out for repeatedly exploiting women A conversation with energy guru Amory Lovins Ask Umbra on storing produce As summer heats up, a tasting of six 'natural' white wines How to green your day job Author Elizabeth Royte chats about the bottled-water boom and backlash From the Archives Sprint to the Finish. Beijing struggles to clear air in time for Olympics. Ride, Valley, Ride. Off-road vehicle use has surged in Western wilderness areas. Remember When Y2K Was Our Biggest Worry? 2007 was the year of warm temperatures and wacky weather. News Archives