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5000
SCIENTISTS IN FLORENCE FOR THE
32nd INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS
Italy will host in Florence, from August 20th until August 28th
2004, under the high patronage of the “Presidenza del
Consiglio dei Ministri, the 32nd INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS.
This important international event will return in our country
after 120 years. It has been announced in Milan in a press conference,
during which some of the main themes of the Congress have been
anticipated and the primary goals of the Congress have been
illustrated as follows:
a)
to show the scientific progress and benefits that geological
knowledge offers to humanity;
b) to contribute to the “Renaissance” of the Earth
Sciences in order to promote a stronger “political”
commitment of Geology in the definition of sustainability
policies that will have to be adopted to face the global challenges
of the third millennium.
The
choice of Italy as the venue of this event assumes an important
meaning in the light of these objectives. It’s in Italy,
in fact, that the Earth Sciences were born during the Renaissance.
Moreover, Italy is a country deeply involved in the problems
of geological risks, due to its position in the middle of
the Mediterranean area, an area which is characterized by
a great variety of geodynamic processes.
5000
SCIENTISTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO DISCUSS THE HEALTH OF
OUR PLANET
The importance of the Congress of Florence is in the first place
reflected by the figures. The event will involve over 5000 scientists
from all over the world and will include 8 plenary sessions,
75 symposia with 338 scientific sessions, 36 workshops and 25
short courses as well as 93 geological excursions. Actually
all the Italian scientific community of this field will be involved,
together with the 5 institutional sponsors that financially
contribute to support the Congress –MIUR (National Ministry
of Education, University and Research), European Commission,
Department of the Civil Protection (Dipartimento della Protezione
Civile), National Research Council (Consiglio Nazionale delle
Ricerche) and Agency for Environmental Protection and Technical
Services (Agenzia per la Protezione dell’ambiente e per
i servizi Tecnici) - in the organizational effort of an event
whose scientific sponsor is the International Union of Geological
Sciences with the contribution of countries members of an ad
hoc constituted Mediterranean Consortium.
MAIN THEMES
The Agenda of the Congress is indeed very rich. Beside the debate
that will be developed around the classical themes of the Earth
Sciences, the Congress of Florence will be the occasion to convey
to the scientists and to the public opinion the knowledge of
those new scientific frontiers that assign to Geology a more
and more central position in the challenges of the third millennium.
This is why much attention will be dedicated, for example, to
the new applications in the field of Urban Geology or Planetary
Geology. Moreover, particular importance will be given to the
specific contributions that Geology offers for the conservation
of the historical heritage - a peculiar theme for Italy that
holds the most conspicuous monumental heritage of the world.
THE ROLE OF GEOLOGISTS IN THE THIRD MILLENNIUM
“From this congress – declared Attilio Boriani,
President of the 32nd International Geological Congress –
we expect that will be reinforced the role that the geologists
are called to supply for the preservation of the cultural and
natural heritage as well as for the protection of the environment
and for a compatible use of natural re sources”. “It
is important to increase the awareness – continued Boriani
– that a development of the Geological Sciences, in the
fields of basic research, Agencies, and in that of consultant
Geologists is a fundamental requirement for the sustainable
development of our Planet”.
Press
Office Hill & Knowlton - Gaia
For information: Ph # +39 06 4416401 - +39 335 1309390
Alessia Calvanese, calvanesea@hkgaia.com, Irene Celli
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