The International Year of Planet Earth 2008 provides an unparalleled opportunity to publicize and celebrate the contributions made by Earth Sciences and Earth scientists to our society on a global scale. On this occasion The Council of the Popularization of Science organized in the building of Academy of Science in February a conference where experts of geological sciences emphasized the important progress in understanding the Earth processes over the past decades. Society should apply this knowledge for achieving a healthier, safer and more prosperous world. and Gabriela Štefániková, Luděk Svoboda.