The Earth Sciences and Society: the Needs for the 21 st Century *

As world population moves to 10-12 billion next century, there will be, must be, vast development of Earth Resources. If there is to be truly sustainable development, we must use all knowledge about our planet with greater wisdom than in the past. We must integrate all knowledge to solve critical problems like energy supply, food security, waste management and the maintenance of quality air and water for all species who live with us and support us. Knowledge from the Earth Sciences is at the core of intelligent development of our life support systems.

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