On April 22nd the lecture entitled Cherish the Earth, Harmonious Coexistence between Human and Nature was held in China University of Geosciences Beijing as the starting lecture for the series lectures Beidi Lecture Hall on the occasion of the forthcoming 54th Earth Day.  Academician Sun Youhong, president of the University, popularized scientific knowledge with a large number of concrete examples. The lecture was centered on four major topics: understanding the earth, the earth's formation and its evolution history; paying attention to the earth and the six crises the earth was facing; being kind to the earth, to concrete actions of the university in the front line of ecological civilization construction; cherishing the earth, harmonious coexistence between human and nature. In the lecture Academician Sun guided teachers and students from multiple perspectives and in an all-round way to understand ecological civilization. Vice President Zhao Zhidan presided over the lecture.

With vivid language and story-like narration, Academician Sun Youhong explained the evolution of the earth from a cosmic nebula to a human "home" containing complex and diverse ecosystems over billions of years. Taking the London Smog Incident, the disappearance of Loulan Ancient Country, and mass extinction of biological species as examples, he introduced the six major crises facing the earth, namely population explosion, resource depletion, environment pollution, ecological destruction, climate warming, and biological extinction. In combination with the achievements made by the university’s research teams in land consolidation and ecological restoration, water pollution control, geopark researches, he elaborated the university's endeavoring practices in ecological civilization education and summarized systematically the cognitive process of human being toward nature in the course of historical development, namely from relying on nature, conforming to it, exploiting and plundering it to harmonious coexistence with it.  

Sun Youhong pointed out that the report of the Party's 20th National Congress clearly stated that respecting nature, adapting to nature and protecting nature are the internal requirements for building comprehensively the modern socialist country. As a research-oriented university focusing on geology, resources and environment, China University of Geosciences (Beijing) has been earnestly studying and implementing Xi Jinping’s thought of ecological civilization, and practicing deeply the Two Mountains theory. Giving full play to advantages in terms of geology, resources, environment and other disciplines, CUGB is actively carrying out practices in the protection of geological relics, the construction of global and national geoparks, groundwater pollution prevention and control planning, the improvement of cultivated land quality, and ecological restoration and has made a series of landmark achievements and taking its own responsibility in the construction of a beautiful China.

Sun Youhong stressed that the harmonious coexistence between man and nature is the premise for building the life community on earth. The scientific method for construction of the life community on earth is to make common progress of economy and resource as well. The only way to build the life community on earth is through co-governance of human society and natural environment. And the common goal for building the life community on earth is sustainable co-prosperity of the world of human beings and the planet earth. It is hoped that teachers and students can firmly establish the concept of development that lucidity and lush mountains are golden hills, and focus on the life community of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, grass and sand, and carry out theoretical researches on ecological civilization construction relying on disciplinary advantages and professional characteristics, and accelerate the construction of Double First-class university. CUGB is to make its own contribution with great wisdom and strength in the promotion of an ecological civilization and the construction of a beautiful China, and in promoting the modernization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. 

The program Beidi Lecture Hall is a series of theme lectures given by prestigious masters from fields of academia, art and sciences hosted by China University of Geosciences (Beijing) serving the university community. It is an important platform for the interpretation of national policies and current affairs, economic and social development, humanities and arts.

More than 400 teachers and students from the Ideological and Political Theory Training Program for young teachers attended the lecture and exchanged their learning experiences.

Meng Xuyang, Monitor of the IPTT program, Professor of the School of Earth Science and Resources

On the occasion of the 54th Earth Day, I carefully listened to and learned from the lecture entitled Cherish the Earth, Harmonious Coexistence between man and Nature given by Sun Youhong, President of the university and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Starting from introduction of the origin of the Earth Day, President Sun combed through the key geological events in history of earth evolution and the main ecological challenges human beings facing contemporarily and, in the lecture, he revealed to us the extremely strong demand for ecological resources and the predicament human beings facing due to destruction of ecological environment. The report of Academician Sun Youhong has aroused a deeper awareness in us that living in nature, human beings and nature are one community of dialectical unity. It is of great significance for every citizen to uphold and practice the concept of harmonious development of man and nature so as to achieve a sustainable development in China and even globally. As a young teacher in China University of Geosciences (Beijing), I will firmly establish the ecological civilization value that lucidity and lush mountains are golden hills, and make my own contribution to the promotion and realization of a harmonious coexistence between man and nature.

Li Xingqing, Temporary Party Branch Secretary for the IPTT program, Professor of the School of Engineering and Technology

In today's lecture, Academician Sun Youhong, President of the University, vividly explained the 4.5-billion-year evolution history of the Earth and profoundly analyzed the current crisis the earth facing. It is introduced in detail in the lecture the contribution and responsibility of CUGBers for the construction of the life community on Earth. As front-line geological engineering research workers, it’s our obligation to have a deep understanding that the protection of nature and ecological environment is a major issue concerning national economy and people's livelihood. It is our prioritized responsibility to respect, conform and protect nature. It is our task to put it into practice to cherish resources, protect the environment, and protect the earth. In the context of global warming, we should give full play to the university’s professional scientific researches and teaching advantages to research and develop technologies for carbon emission reduction, carbon sink adding, low carbon and carbon sequestration so as to advocate green life style and improve the overall environment of the earth. We will put the Two Mountains Theory into practice and jointly realize the future promise of peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutral.

Xue Jiahao, represents of the IPTT program, student instructor of the School of Geophysics and Information Technology

The earth is the home for human survival and development. The lecture by Academician Sun Youhong, President of the University, has aroused the excitement as well as sense of responsibility in me. The report of the Party’s 20th National Congress has pointed out that we must firmly uphold and practice the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and make plan of development from the height of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. As young teachers, we should actively undertake the mission of education, leading students in researches based on needs of the motherland, serving the national strategic needs, climbing the peak of earth science, and actively playing the important role of earth science in ecological civilization construction, promoting the harmonious coexistence of human and nature, and further engraving the significance of Earth Day in the public. We will respect, accommodate and protect the nature, and strive to build a modern socialist country in which man and nature can coexist in harmony.

Pang Bei, student representative, doctoral students of the School of Earth Sciences and Resources

On the 54th Earth Day, Academician Sun Youhong, President of the University, delivered a lecture entitled Cherish the Earth, Harmonious Coexistence between Man and Nature. From understanding, paying attention, being kind to cherishing nature, human beings have gradually formed the important strategy of sustainable development in the ecological civilization period from the fatalism in prehistoric civilization, to the dependence on nature in agricultural civilization, and to the triumph of man over nature in industrial civilization. The transition was made from a simple attitude toward the nature in ancient times to the mechanical view of nature in modern era, and then to the dialectical materialism view of nature in contemporary world. From the keyboard favored by male students and lipstick favored by female students to the energy and mineral resources necessary for national development, mankind should be aware that the proven reserves of resources can supply human needs only for a few decades. Everyone works for the common good and the world is in harmony. Just as is shown in the movie The Wandering Earth, people choose to swim in the sea of stars to save the earth. Teachers of CUGB have always adhered to the front line of ecological restoration and environmental protection and have made unremitting efforts to protect our homeland. The spirit and romantic feelings of hard working and simple living, realistic and pragmatic will always encourage us younger generation of geologists to forge ahead and keep moving forward.

Yu Jianan, student representative of graduate students from the School of Water Resources and Environment

April 22rd 2023 is the 54th Earth Day. It’s an honor for me to attend the lecture Cherish the Earth, Harmonious coexistence between man and nature given by Academician Sun Youhong, President of the University. To understand and pay attention to the earth from the perspective of its formation and evolution history as well as the crises facing the earth, the university has been taking actions to contribute to the construction of ecological civilization and sustainable development. It will always be bored in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping's advice: "We should protect the environment like protecting our eyes, treat the environment like treating our lives. " And we will always be gentle with the earth and cherish it so as to achieve harmonious coexistence between man and nature.

Li Haiyang represents undergraduate students from the School of Engineering and Technology

In this lecture, what impressed me most was the endeavoring practices of my university in protecting the earth environment. For example, the research achievements of Professor Bai Zhongke's team have been widely used throughout the country; Professor Feng Chuanping's team's wastewater nitrogen removal technology has reached a leading level globally and the non-traditional stable isotope analysis test method of Professor Han Guilin and his team is an important indicator for the study of the Earth's environmental changes, etc. The outstanding achievements made by these excellent scholars in scientific researches of earth ecological protection has aroused strong enthusiasm in my heart. For students majoring in geological engineering, I will always put the protection of ecological environment in the first place while studying professional knowledge, making scientific researches and doing subsequent work. Good use of professional knowledge will be made to contribute our own strength to the construction of the life community on earth!

News by Lv Songzhuo, Photography by Wang Qixiang, Wu Yida