On April 22, the 46th World Earth Day arrives in the bright spring of rebirth and renewal. Focusing on the theme “Cherish the Earth Resources, Transform the Development Mode and Improve the Utilization Efficiency”, China Geological Survey has held a series of commemorative activities to enhance people’ s understanding of the earth, resources ﹠ environment, and to advocate the concept of “economic and intensive use of resources”.

The earth gave birth to all living beings and has always been nurturing us during 4.6 billion years of evolution. As our beautiful homeland, the earth provides for the mankind while being transformed by the latter as well. Dealing with the earth, the study of geology aims to explore the forming and evolution rule of the earth to provide the scientific way of thinking and methodology for knowing, accommodating to, using and transforming the earth. Up to now, the earth remains to be the sole planet where we can live on. The responsibilities to protect the earth, our common homeland of the human being, are as numerous as they are honorable with a bright future lies before us.

Recogniz the Earth, and unlock the mysteries of the planet. The extinction of dinosaurs ,the origin of human kind are among the main events that took place in the long history of earth evolution, as well as the concentration of elements and the formation of mineral resources. The movement began to reveal the mysteries and develop the resources were on the same day when human being began to build their earth homeland. From the ancient “Round Sky with Square Earth” to plate tectonics, then to continental dynamics nowadays, the human kind have never stopped their exploration of the earth and the efforts will continue in the future. It will not only realize the dream of geologists to reveal the formation and evolution of the earth , but also establish an important foundation for human kind’s survival and development.

Explore the earth, and develop the earth resources . With the upgrading of our economy, there lies huge need for energy and other important mineral resources. However, the structure of need has undergone important changes. The uprising of emerging industry of strategic importance characterized by low-carbon, greenness, and environment friendliness, will boost the major adjustment of energy consumption, and led the increase of need for mineral commodities including  new energy and new materials represented by lithium, rare earth, rare metal and rare-scattered elements.Due to the limited amount of resources on the earth and the non-renewable characteristics of most types of resources, people should be fully aware of the importance of economic and intensive use of resources, and highlight the comprehensive exploration, utilization and development of resources when carrying out geological work. More attention should be paid on the whole life cycle of  exploration, development, dressing & smelting, use and recycling  of resources , collect relevant data and information, and provide fundamental support for economic and intensive use of earth resources.

Restore the earth,and improve the environment. From the perspective of earth system, resources and environment are interdependent.They can mutually interact and transform. Environment itself falls into the catergory of resources from the perspective of human being. The development mode of economy and the wanton development of natural resources have broken the law of nature, damage the environment and ecological balance, and resource environmental bear capacity has approached or even reached the limit.  Over the recent decades, world climate change has become increasingly prominent, and the overlapping of such natural disasters as earthquake, landslide, mudflow, land subsidence and the man-induced geo-disaster have left grave consequences on the sustainable development of earth ecosystem, and huge damage to the economy and society, even threaten the survival of human beings. Faced with the ecological crisis, it’s geologists’ unshirkable responsibilities to enhance the monitoring on and study of the earth’s key belts, carry out geohazard prevention and restoration of ecological system to protect the earth environment in which humans live.

Promote the harmonious relations between humans and the earth. The earth system consists of atmosphere, water, continent, biosphere and some other relevant geological process. A healthy and steady earth system serves as the premise for the sustainable development and progress of human kind. Ecological progress represents the balance and good state of ecosystem, and the harmonious relationship between people and the nature. As an important issue in the development of geology nowadays and in the future, to follow the rule of nature and accommodate to the earth system will also be the core of ecological progress.

18th national congress of the communist party of china has made the ecological progress the top priority, and put forward with four tasks, namely “optimize spatial pattern of land development, fully promote resource conservation, put more efforts on natural ecosystem and environment protection, strengthen the ecological progress”. Centering on “Fully Support National Energy and Resources Security, Well Serve the Center Work of Land and Resources”, China Geological Survey began to implement “Nine Programs” to accelerate the strategic structure adjustment of geological work, enhance the fundamental and leading role of geological work in social and economic development, and actively provide strong support for ecological progress so as to deepen the understanding of the Earth, safeguard the resource security, protect the environment, and promote the harmonious relationship between mankind and the earth.