150 'Planet under Pressure' public events worldwide

Public events at museums and science centers around the globe will run concurrently with the Planet under Pressure Conference on March 26-29, 2012.

While 2,500 specialists gather in London to present the latest scientific knowledge on the state of the planet and potential solutions for a sustainable world, science centers and museums worldwide will hold 150 public events relating to the Planet Under Pressure conference and the Rio+20 Summit in June. Events will take place in North and South America, Asia, Australia, Africa and Europe and will give the public a snapshot of the state of the planet and scientific concern in advance of the UN Rio+20 Summit. What's more, via live web streaming, email and twitter, participants will be able to follow the conference live from all over the world and can interact with the speakers in London in real time.

The Planet under Pressure conference organizers, DIVERSITAS, International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, International Human Dimensions Programme, World Climate Research Programme and their Earth System Science Partnership, have joined forces with all science center and museum networks worldwide. The networks are global non-profit organizations that foster public engagement with science.

Science centers and museums are experts in bringing science and the public together. They offer a platform for people of all ages and backgrounds to explore, understand and relate to recent scientific findings.

All events will take place from 26-29 March, 2012, and will present the latest science directly from the Planet under Pressure conference in a variety of formats, from live streaming of conference sessions through presentations and speeches to debates and demonstrations.

"We are thrilled about the large number and variety of events the science centers have organized. These events perfectly complement our conference because they allow us to discuss the state of Earth's life support system with the public. This is about improving the collective understanding of the Earth system and how human activities affect it," said Owen Gaffney, Director of Communications, Planet under Pressure Conference.

"The high public interest in the events at the science centers and museums worldwide encourages us as scientists in our daily work. It underlines that our research is relevant and that we have a lot to contribute to finding viable solutions. On behalf of the conference organizers, I would like to thank the science center networks for taking strong collective action to making Planet under Pressure accessible to so many local and national audiences." added Dr Mark Stafford-Smith, Co-Chair, Planet under Pressure Conference.

"It has been a pleasure to work with our members and the Planet under Pressure conference organizers in developing this series of events. Planet under Pressure will be an influential scientific conference in the run-up to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 2012, and we appreciate the opportunity to bridge the science presented in London with local public audiences worldwide." commented Walter Staveloz, Association of Science-Technology Centers.

The plenary of the London Planet under Pressure conference will be streamed live every day (26-29 March) followed by the Daily Planet, a live news programme from the event.

For an overview of all 150 events and to find out if an event is taking place in your area, visit: www.planetunderpressure2012.net/scitech.asp

Provided by Earth System Science Partnership