The International Polar Year 2008

Date of Issue: 18 November 2008
Denominations: € 0.60, 1.20, 1.00

The International Polar Year (IPY) is a major scientific programme centred around the study of the Arctic and Antarctic from March 2007 to March 2009. The IPY, desired by the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), will in actual fact be the fourth polar year, after those of 1882-3, 1932-3, and 1957-8. To thoroughly cover both the Arctic and the Antarctic to the same degree, IPY 2007-8 will take into consideration two complete annual cycles between March 2007 and March 2009 and will involve over 200 projects, with thousands of scientists from over 60 nations examining a vast range of aspects of physiological, biological and social research. This is also an unprecedented occasion to demonstrate, follow and realise scientific projects in real time. In particular, investigations will be made into climate changes in the polar zones, and the researchers will be able to provide fundamental information for the battle against global warming. The Azienda Autonoma di Stato Filatelica e Numismatica has thought to give priority to the photos taken by the researcher, Lucia Sala Simion, with their strikingly clear details and conceptual reference to the themes of the IPY. Through her images they wished to give importance to the preservation of the purity of Nature (€ 0.60 value) to maximising the beauty of the landscape and unspoilt nature; to the protection of the fauna in serious danger of extinction (€ 1.00 value); to the science (€ 1.20 value) with the presence of man as observer to formulate an adequate technological solution.