Science Policy on EARTH Magazine

Beyond rocks for jocks: Elevating geoscience education

Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:54:41 -0400

Credit: Copyright Shutterstock.com/Goodluz

When I was an undergraduate student, all liberal arts students were required to take a science course as a general education requirement. If I recall correctly, the science options were astronomy, biology, chemistry, physical geology and physics. The astronomy, chemistry and physics classes were highly quantitative, which frightened off many general education students. The alternatives of biology and physical geology tended to be more attractive because their core content was less rooted in high-level mathematics. Thus, the physical geology course was a favorite of athletes seeking to fulfill a general education requirement, and for this reason it was called, as it is at many schools, “Rocks for Jocks.”

Policy in the Field: U.S. fire policy in the wake of catastrophic fire seasons

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 08:25:35 -0400

Somebody turn down the heat!

Almost every region of the U.S. was on fire at some point in June. The fourth-hottest June on record in the United States, June 2012 also rounded out the hottest 12-month period since record-keeping began in the U.S. in the 1890s. July was the single hottest ever recorded.

Policy in the field: What's next for tax policies and the American clean energy economy?

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:07:34 -0400

It takes green to be green. Renewable energy technology requires dedicated investments, whether public or private, to succeed. The costs are steep, but many consider the cause worthwhile. After all, politicians on both sides tout having diverse array of energy resources as important for national and economic security. Nonetheless, in this tight economic climate, very little is safe. Now, Congress is starting to look at federal tax policies as they affect renewable energy development.

Blogging on EARTH: Congress considers severe weather policy options

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 09:29:11 -0400

Image of Doppler radar. There are currently 155 WSR-88D Doppler radar in the U.S. including Guam and Puerto Rico. NOAA

Satellite imagery of massive wildfire smoke plumes over Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma. NOAA

Abby Seadler is the member society services manager for the American Geosciences Institute and contributing science policy writer for EARTH. Abby Seadler

It doesn’t take a geoscientist to know that severe weather impacts our lives. Tornadoes, hurricanes, windstorms, solar storms, droughts … the list goes on. Last year shattered records — hundreds dead in the Southern tornadoes, three of the largest forest fires in state histories, and at least 15 dead in Oklahoma City alone due to record high temperatures. This year is off to a roaring start as well. Although folks up in Michigan may have enjoyed June temperatures in early March, the people in Tornado Alley certainly didn’t need an early start to their spring — experiencing 57 tornadoes ahead of schedule in February. No, it doesn’t take a geoscientist to know that these severe weather events have equally as severe consequences. But it does take a geoscientist to tell Congress exactly what we should do to predict these threats.

Oil barrel politics

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:51:09 -0500

As a new president and Congress entered office in January, current events continue to keep energy in the forefront of national concern. Volatile prices, resource depletion, climate change and national security impacts of energy trade have become a part of daily news and policy discussion. Americans will be watching the new policymakers to see how they respond to energy concerns. How they treat energy research and development — particularly the amount of funds dedicated to R&D, and the portion of that R&D that is allocated through earmarks — will be telling. If they’re smart, they’ll avoid allocating R&D funds through earmarks altogether.

The art of un-legislating

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:51:09 -0500

The U.S. Capitol Building Diliff

Taking public approval ratings at face value, it would be easy to conclude that the legislative branch of our government is motivated by an unfortunate blend of incompetence and arrogance. Certainly the repeated and well-documented failures of Congress to act on issues of national significance and its tendency to substitute rhetoric and pork barrel spending for meaningful action provide ample fodder for this well-worn reputation. Whether or not such a portrait is fair, it reveals a powerful and deeply rooted public perception: that the fundamental purpose of Congress is to enact good legislation. Yet this is not the case, as I have seen firsthand in my year spent on Capitol Hill.

AGU: How scientists should talk climate change

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:41:58 -0500

Blogging on EARTH

SAN FRANCISCO — The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Fourth Assessment report last year showed a strong consensus among scientists that the climate is warming, thanks largely to anthropogenic greenhouse gases. So one has to wonder why scientists are still struggling to get that message through to both policymakers and stakeholders.

The Thirsty Dragon and the Wealthy Bear

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:41:58 -0500

How China, Russia and High Oil Prices Influence Global Dynamics

It’s a brave new world. China and Russia are changing the terms of energy geopolitics, and in the process, changing everyone’s place in the world.

These growing powers are gaining influence and shifting foreign policy relationships by currying favors with oil-producing states, building regional influence and dependency, and disregarding human rights abuses. By extending their unique brands of “democracy” into the energy game, the two nations are compromising U.S. efforts to promote its foreign policy agenda.