Thousands of scientists will meet in Melbourne in 2011 to discuss issues affecting our oceans, climate, water and earth. (CSIRO)

‘Earth on the edge’ – Melbourne 2011

Reference: 09/231

A major conference to be held in Melbourne in 2011 will focus the world’s attention on the broad issues of a sustainable planet.

• 24 December 2009

“Thousands of scientists will meet in Melbourne in mid-2011 to discuss the state of the Earth,” according to CSIRO’s Dr Tom Beer, the first Australian to be elected President of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG).

“Scientists from around the world working on issues of sustainability will exchange information at the IUGG General Assembly,” Dr Beer said. “They will discuss issues affecting our climate and atmosphere, water resources and oceans, volcanoes and polar regions, and earthquakes and tsunamis.”

This will be only the second time that the IUGG General Assembly has been held in the Southern Hemisphere.

“The conference – Earth on the Edge: Science for a Sustainable Planet – will bring together the eight earth science associations of the IUGG. These foster collaborative research and information exchange between scientists in 66 countries and the application of this research to societal needs such as mineral resources, mitigation of natural hazards, and environmental preservation,” Dr Beer said

The Chair of the Joint Australia and New Zealand Conference Organising Committee, Monash University’s Professor Ray Cas, said the conference will be an exciting, multi-disciplinary meeting about cutting-edge science.

“Data, information, and knowledge gained through the IUGG are made openly available for the benefit of society,” Professor Cas said. “Our aim is to enable the discovery and responsible use of natural resources, sustainable management of the environment, reduce the impact of natural hazards, and to satisfy our curiosity about the Earth's natural environment and the consequences of human activities.”

Earth on the Edge: Science for a Sustainable Planet will be held from the 28 June to 8 July 2011 at the new Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Dr Beer and Professor Cas are available through December and January to discuss the conference and related issues of sustainability.

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