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AWG E-MAIL NEWS 2005-15
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CONTENTS
1) WOMEN IN AEG-AWG LUNCHEON IN LAS VEGAS, SEPTEMBER 23, 2005
2) AGI GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MONTHLY REVIEW – JULY 2005
3) AGI ACTION ALERT: MORE CONGRESSIONAL VISITS DAYS IN SEPTEMBER
4) POSITION OPENINGS
2005-057 James Madison University - Applied, Shallow Earth, Geophysics
2005-068 Department of Geology, University at Buffalo, SUNY - Three
faculty positions
2005-072 Icicle Creek Engineers - Staff Geotechnical Engineer or
Geologist
5) CONTACT INFORMATION
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Thanks to everyone who contributed to this issue of E-mail News
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1) WOMEN IN AEG-AWG LUNCHEON IN LAS VEGAS, SEPTEMBER 23, 2005
AWG needs a volunteer to speak at this event, which will be held during
the annual meeting of the Association of Engineering Geologists.
Anyone may attend for the cost of the meal (registration for the rest of the
meeting is not required). Logistics: The luncheon is scheduled from
12:00 to 1:20 on Friday, September 23 at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas.
Contact AEG to purchase your meal. Potential speakers: These lunches
are informal, typically consisting of a short talk (around 30 minutes)
about an applied topic of the speaker's choice, presented in a manner
that will appeal to a mixed audience of about 20 to 40 people. The talk
can include personal perspectives and should allow for wide-ranging
discussion. AEG will provide the speaker's meal and specified projection
equipment. If you are interested in speaking, please contact Mary
Gillam as soon as possible (gillam@rmi.net; 979-259-0966).
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2) AGI GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MONTHLY REVIEW – JULY 2005
* Congressional Hazards Caucus Back on Watch
* Energy Bill Arrives on President's Desk
* Peak Oil Takes the Stage in Capitol Hill Seminar Series
* Climate Change Becomes Focus of House Investigation
* Group of 8 Countries Write Agreement on Climate Change
* Climate Change Experts Testify in Senate
* House Passes Bill Endorsing NASA’s Vision for Space Exploration
* Status of Appropriations Bills
* Department of Interior and EPA Appropriations Complete
* White House Sets Federal R&D Guidelines for FY 2007
* Bush Favors Intelligent Design and Evolution in Science Classes
* AGI Joins Societies Urging an Evaluation of the NIH Public Access
Policy
* NIH Public Access Working Group Meets
* USGS Issues Report on Groundwater
* International Agreement Made to Reduce Methyl Bromide
* AGI Become Founding Partner of the International Year of Planet Earth
* New National Report Card Shows Long-term Gains in K-12 Reading and
Math
* House Committee Finds $6 billion Unused Education Funds
* Two Reports Address Teacher Pay and Quality in U.S. Public Schools
* NSF Recognizes Geologist in Distinguished Teaching Award
* Contribute to the New Earth Science Teachers Website
* USAID Creates Natural Resources Library on the Web
* Key Federal Register Notices
*** Congressional Hazards Caucus Back on Watch ***
The Senate Natural Hazards Caucus is being renamed and revitalized as a
bicameral Hazards Caucus. The Caucus will be led by four co-chairs in
the Senate, Ted Stevens (R-AK), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Jim DeMint (R-SC)
and Ben Nelson (D-NE), and four co-chairs in the House, Reps. Wayne
Gilchrest (R-MD), Dennis Moore (D-KS), Jo Bonner (R-AL) and a fourth
representative to be determined. The Hazards Caucus will be bipartisan and
provide a centralized, concerned and cohesive cooperative for members
to share lessons learned from the local to national level, gather
information and work together to reduce risks. Shared objectives for the
caucus include: (1) Focus greater attention in Congress on the natural and
man-made hazards facing the nation and improve understanding of the
need to mitigate against the impacts of floods, earthquakes, hurricanes,
landslides and land subsidence, tornadoes, volcanoes, severe weather,
drought, fire, and tsunamis. (2) Help promote better land-use pla
nning and optimize building codes. (3) Strengthen public and private
support for science and engineering research by demonstrating how
application of advances in science and engineering research can contribute to
saving lives and money. (4) Support the implementation of new
technologies, such as geographic information systems, to address societal
challenges faced by state and local government and the private sector. (5)
Identify additional areas of consensus and common interests related to
hazards.
The Hazards Caucus and Coalition held a hurricane briefing for House
and Senate staffers on July 11, 2005. A summary of the briefing is
available at http://www.agiweb.org/workgroup/forum.html
Please visit the website to learn more about the Caucus, to offer your
expertise and help and to determine if your congressional members are
part of the Hazards Caucus. If they are not, please encourage them to
join.
The American Geological Institute (AGI), along with several member
societies, the American Geophysical Union, Geological Society of America
and the Seismological Society of America, are vital members of the
Hazards Caucus Coalition. The Coalition consists of more than 50
organizations that represent scientists, engineers, homebuilders, building code
writers, emergency planners/responders and insurers. If your
organization would like to join the Coalition, please contact Linda Rowan at AGI.
*** Energy Bill Arrives on President’s Desk ***
On July 29, 2005, the Senate passed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 by a
99-1 vote, thereby overcoming the final hurdle in a four-year push to
pass comprehensive energy legislation. A day earlier, the House also
approved the massive, 1,725 page legislation by a reasonably bipartisan
vote of 275 to 156. After a House-Senate Conference Committee succeeded
in agreeing on a final bill earlier in the week, the Senate vote came
just in time to meet the August deadline set by President Bush.
After almost two weeks of frenzied negotiation, House and Senate
conferees were able to work out major differences by dropping the most
contentious parts of the bill. There will be no provisions for drilling in
the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), no liability protection for
producers of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and no renewable
portfolio standard (RPS). Drilling in ANWR is allowed under the
appropriations process, so it was not really a major concession to drop it from the
energy bill. Conference Committee Co-Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX), pushed
hard for compromise on the MTBE liability protection by offering to
set-up an MTBE cleanup trust fund of $1 billion in which industry, state
and the federal government would each contribute one-third. Likewise,
Senator Jeff Bingaman’s attempt to amend the RPS language was not
successful.
On many provisions, the final bill simply compromises on the different
numbers in the House and Senate versions (see AGI’s table comparing the
differences). For example, 70% of the authorized funding for the $1.8
billion Clean Coal Power Initiative will go to advanced combustion
technologies, including coal gasification; the Senate bill had called for
80%, while the House bill had called for 60%.
The National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program Act
of 2005 was left as is in the final bill; the section authorizes $30
million over five years of federal money to pay for up to 50% of any data
preservation program or facility. The federal part of the program will
be administered by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Other major additions, compromises, and deletions include:
-- Requirement that 7.5 billion gallons of ethanol be included in the
nation’s gasoline supply by 2012, down from 8 billion in the Senate bill
and up from 5 billion in the House bill.
-- $2 billion in risk insurance for new nuclear reactors added to
package of incentives for advanced nuclear power.
-- $1.5 billion for an ultra-deepwater oil drilling research and
development program.
-- Over 10 years, a $14.6 billion energy tax package with $3.1 billion
in offsets, up from $8 billion in the House bill and down from $18
billion in the Senate bill.
For more information, review AGI’s energy policy web page and table
comparing the House and Senate energy bills at
http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis109/energy.html.
*** Peak Oil Takes the Stage in Capitol Hill Seminar Series ***
The American Meteorological Society (AMS) held its third Environmental
Science Seminar on "The Future of Oil: Will Supply Meet Demand?" The
forum featured four presentations that focused on peak oil predictions
and recommendations for future energy use in the United States and
worldwide. Representative Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), opened the discussion by
expressing concern at the lack of urgency among policy-makers to
address the oil supply issue.
Each of the speakers was a prominent figure in peak oil prediction and
mitigation. Robert Hirsch, Senior Energy Program Advisor at SAIC,
identified the nation’s transportation infrastructure as the main obstacle
in addressing peak oil. In order to avoid a crisis, Hirsch said a plan
to transition away from petroleum-dependency should be implemented 20
years before peaking. Jack Zagar, Director of the Association for the
Study of Peak Oil (ASPO), and Matthew Simmons, Chairman and CEO of
Simmons & Company International, focused more on the importance of reliable
data on oil supply capacity, particularly in Saudi Arabia. While
growing economies in developing nations like China and India are predicted
to have a great impact on U.S. oil supply, Dr.
Herman Franssen, President of International Energy Associates (IEA),
took the opportunity to remind the audience not to blame these
populations for desiring the same consumptive lifestyle that Americans enjoy.
The speakers were somewhat reluctant to discuss how current legislation
addresses oil supply concerns. On the energy bill, Hirsch simply
commented that the bill fails to address peak oil, calling it “business as
usual.”
A full summary is available at
http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis109/energy.html
*** Climate Change Becomes Focus of House Investigation ***
The hot and sticky summer months yielded a heated controversy over the
quality of climate change science, peer-review, the dissemination of
data and who has jurisdiction to judge these issues. Representative Joe
Barton (R-TX), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce committee, and
Representative Ed Whitfield (R-KY), chairman of the House Oversight and
Investigation subcommittee, sent letters to three climate scientists
who co-authored research papers attributing a large rise in northern
hemisphere temperatures over the past century to man-made greenhouse gas
emissions.
The House letters cited errors in these papers based on a Wall Street
Journal report and requested the data, source codes, other studies,
records of all financial support and details about all of their responses
to anyone who requested their data or questioned their results. The
letters also cited a paper by McIntyre and McKitrick in Energy and
Environment that reported errors and omissions in Mann et al., Nature, 1998,
one of the papers in question. The letters request a detailed
explanation of these alleged errors and how these errors might affect the
results. In addition, the letters requested information about the role of
each author in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Third
Assessment Report (TAR) and the identities and roles of other
scientists who worked on TAR. Similar letters were also sent to Arden Bement,
the director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), which funded the
research of Mann, Bradley and Hughes and to Rajendra Pachauri, the
chairman of the IPCC. NSF and IPCC were asked to explain how they
judged the quality and accuracy of Mann et al. and other studies and what
policies they have regarding the dissemination of data.
The letters, which are posted on the Energy and Commerce website, have
drawn condemnation from some members of Congress and the scientific
community. Representative Sherwood Boehlert, the chairman of the Science
committee, in a letter to Barton, called the investigation illegitimate
and indicated the purposes of the letters were to “intimidate
scientists” and “substitute Congressional political review for scientific peer
review”. Boehlert concludes that the letters represent an attack on
science and the peer-review process, and he states “The precedent your
investigation sets is truly chilling.” The National Academy of Sciences
(NAS), the American Association for the Advancement of Science and 20
climate researchers have also written letters to Barton. These letters
and media reports about the controversy are available on the Science
committee website.
House Energy and Commerce Committee website:
http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/letters/letters.htm
House Science Committee website:
http://www.house.gov/science/hot/climate%20dispute/index.htm
*** Group of 8 Countries Write New Agreement on Climate Change ***
On the final day of the Group of 8 (G8) Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland
on July 5-8, 2005, political leaders from Russia, Japan, Canada,
France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States released a
public statement accepting global warming as a "serious long-term
challenge" for the world. Although no targets or timetables were set, the G8
pledged to act "with resolve and urgency" to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by building low-carbon, sustainable economies. According to the
agreement, the UN Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be
understood as the "appropriate forum for negotiating the future of the
multilateral regime on climate change." Many environmental groups were
disappointed about the results of this summit. Stephen Tindale of Greenpeace
said, "The G8 has committed to nothing new but at least we haven't moved
backwards on the environment." British Prime Minister Tony Blair
announced that the nations would meet again in London in November 2005
to discuss the details of an emissions reductions plan.
View all documents from the Gleneagles G8 Summit at
http://www.g8.gov.uk
*** Climate Change Experts Testify in Senate ***
Climate Change issues received new attention this month from the Senate
when three separate committees planned hearings that, rather than
focusing on the climate change debate itself, began to discuss how to
address the issue of global warming. The hearings followed several events
this month that placed climate change in the political spotlight,
including energy bill debates in the Senate, the G8 Summit in Gleneagles
Scotland, and Representative Joe Barton’s (R-TX) investigation into climate
change science. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
ended up canceling their July 27th hearing on greenhouse gas reductions and
the Kyoto Protocol, but during the previous week, two other hearings
were held to discuss the current science behind global warming, economic
concerns, and the federal climate research budget.
On July 20, 2005, the Senate subcommittee on Global Climate Change and
Impacts devoted its first-ever hearing to discussing the $5 billion
federal budget request for climate-related science and technology for
fiscal year (FY) 2006. Federal agency officials testified about the U.S.
involvement in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) and the G8 Summit, as well as the status of a report on
climate change that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
should release by the end of 2007.
The following day, on July 21st, the Senate Energy and Natural
Resources Committee held another hearing on "Climate Change Science and
Economics," in which panelists from the scientific community urged the
committee members to recognize that global warming is occurring because of
man-made emissions and that political leadership is needed now to
alleviate the problems. In response, committee members requested that
scientists provide certainty in their results on climate change before
lawmakers can make sound policies. "It is very important for us to insist that
you get it right," said Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN).
For more on these hearings, click visit
http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis109/climate_change_hearings.
*** House Passes Bill Endorsing NASA’s Vision for Space Exploration ***
On July 22, 2005, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed an
authorization bill for the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) without a solution to the Iran Non-Proliferation Act (INA), an
obstacle that threatens America’s ability to complete the International
Space Station. The bill provides congressional endorsement for NASA to
carry out its Vision for Space Exploration while taking measures to
ensure the agency maintains its other primary missions of space science,
Earth science, and aeronautics. A primary focus of the act is to allow
NASA to proceed with retiring the space shuttle by 2010 and to
encourage NASA to launch the next Crew Exploration Vehicle as close to 2010 as
possible. It also provides for a mission to service the Hubble Space
Telescope.
When the House Science Committee unanimously approved the bill one week
earlier, committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-MI) stated that the
full House would not consider the bill until it incorporated language to
amend the INA, which prohibits the U.S. from employing Russian services
unless the President proves Russia is not providing Iran the means to
strengthen their nuclear program. Without the use of Russian space
vehicles, astronauts would not be able to obtain transport from the
International Space Station in the event of an emergency. In its final
language, the bill instructs NASA to solve this problem by September 30,
2005. The Senate will likely consider their version of the bill in early
September.
For further coverage on the progress of both House and Senate NASA
Authorization bills and how earth science programs will be affected, please
visit http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis109/nasa.html
*** Status of Appropriations Bills ***
Before Congress left Capitol Hill for their August recess, budget
conferees succeeded in sending two appropriations bills to the President’s
desk, including spending for the Legislative Branch, and the budgets for
the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency and
the Forest Service. While the House has completed work on all 10 of
its bills, the full Senate still has yet to vote on 7 of their 12
appropriations bills, including spending for the Department of Agriculture,
the Department of Education, the Commerce Department, and federal science
agencies such as NASA, NSF and NIST.
The House approved $3.43 billion for NOAA (Senate suggested $4.48
billion), $549 million for NIST (Senate suggested $844 million), $16.5
billion for NASA (Senate suggested $16.4 billion) and $5.64 billion for NSF
(Senate suggested $5.53 billion). The large differences in the funding
for NOAA and NIST between the House and the Senate is partly due to the
inclusion of the State Department in the House bill, whereas the Senate
was able to offer more funding for NOAA and NIST because they did not
have to worry about funding the State Department in the same bill. It
is not clear how this major difference in the bills will be reconciled;
however, it is likely that all of these science agencies will be
competing with each other for funding in the conference committee. The
beginning of September is the best time to contact your Senators and ask for
support for science funding for these agencies. When the conference
committee members are assigned, you can also contact committee me
mbers to request support, especially if you are a constituent. When
constituents talk, Members listen.
House-approved funding for educational programs within science agencies
were higher than the President’s proposed budget and are divided as
follows: $807 million for education at NSF ($70 million more than the
President’s request), $169 million for education at NASA ($2 million more
than the President’s request), and $28.9 million at NOAA for a new
education program not requested by the President.
*** Department of Interior and EPA Appropriations Complete ***
The Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Bill, 2006 (H.R. 2361 and conference report 190-088),
includes compromises and increased spending for the U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) compared to the
President’s proposed budget. The act was overwhelmingly approved 410-10 in
the House and 99-1 in the Senate, with Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK)
casting the single dissenting vote. Overall, the Interior Department will
receive $9.88 billion, including cuts to federal land acquisition programs
and modest increases for the USGS, the National Park Service, and Fish
and Wildlife Service. There were significant increases for wildfire
suppression, wildfire preparedness and hazardous fuel reduction as the
Administration and Congress continue to support accelerated efforts to
mitigate disastrous fires and ensure a cycle of contained fires to
promote biodiversity, healthy forests and supplies for the timber indust
ry. Spending for the Environmental Protection Agency is set at $7.73
billion for FY 2006, which includes a cut of $295 million from current
levels, but $160 million more than the president’s request.
The bill sets fiscal year (FY) 2006 spending for the USGS at $977.4
million (without rescissions), $41 million more than the $936.3 million
for FY2005. In contrast, President Bush had requested only $933.6
million, with significant cuts to mineral and water programs. Within the
USGS, the National Mapping programs received $133 million and funding for
Landsat was spared most of the cuts proposed by the Senate but still
lost $2 million overall compared to the funding proposed in the House
bill.
The Geologic Hazards, Resources and Processes programs received $239
million, about $8.7 million more than FY2005 levels, with most of this
increase for hazards programs. Congress also kept the Minerals Resources
Program funded at FY2005 levels by removing a proposed $28.5 million
cut proposed by the Administration. The conference report gave the
following explanation for rejecting the cut: “The managers strongly disagree
with the Administration's proposed reductions to the minerals
assessment program and believe it is irresponsible for the Administration to
decrease or eliminate funding for what is clearly an inherently Federal
responsibility. The conference agreement restores funding for this vital
program to the enacted level.”
Water programs at the Survey received $212 million and funding for the
Water Resource Research Institutes was maintained at $7.6 million
despite the President’s proposal to end the program. The Survey was
cautioned about competing with private industry and asked to submit a report
by the end of the year. The conference report language said, “The
managers are concerned by continuing reports that suggest the Survey's water
resources program is providing or seeking to provide a variety of
commercial services to Federal and non-Federal entities in direct
competition with the private sector. The managers have previously encouraged the
Survey to use the services of the private sector in the conduct of its
activities wherever feasible, cost effective, and consistent with the
quality standards and principles pertaining to the effective performance
of governmental functions. The managers expect that the Survey should
strive to implement such a policy to the best of its ability in
the performance of its work.”
*** White House Sets Federal R&D Guidelines for FY 2007 ***
In a July 8, 2005 memo, two White House officials responsible for
overseeing the federal science and technology budget released the
President’s research and development (R&D) priorities for fiscal year (FY) 2007.
The memo directs executive branch agencies to give special focus in
their budgets to R&D programs that would apply strong interagency
coordination to enhance national security, energy independence, scientific
literacy, and technological innovation. Within the category of “Energy and
Environment,” the White House encourages agencies to contribute to the
U.S. Integrated Earth Observing System (IEOS), the U.S. Ocean Action
Plan, climate change and fresh water supply research, and hydrogen
storage technologies.
The full memo is available in PDF format (78 KB) at
http://www.ostp.gov/html/budget/2007/ostp_omb_guidancememo_FY07.pdf
*** Bush Favors Intelligent Design and Evolution in Science Classes ***
During a question and answer session with the media at the White House
on August 1, 2005, President Bush said that he favored teaching
intelligent design (ID) alongside evolution in science classes in U.S. public
schools. According to Knight Ridder Newspapers, Bush said, “I think
that part of education is to expose people to different schools of
thought.” The National Academy of Sciences and the American Association for
the Advancement of Science concluded that there is no scientific basis
for ID and oppose teaching it in a science class. AGI, the American
Geophysical Union, the Association for Women Geoscientists, the
Geological Society of America, the Paleontological Society, the Society of
Vertebrate Paleontology and The Society for Organic Petrology all have
position statements supporting the teaching of evolution and opposing the
teaching of non-scientific ideas, such as ID, in science classes.
Outside of the scientific community, parents, teachers, religious leaders
, policy makers and members of the broader public have voiced their
opposition to calling ID a scientific theory and allowing it to be taught
in science classes.
*** AGI Joins Societies Urging an Evaluation of the NIH Public Access
Policy ***
The American Geological Institute, along with 50 other non-profits who
publish scientific journals, sent a letter to Senator Arlen Specter
(R-PA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, asking the
Senate to carefully reconsider the Public Access Policy recently
adopted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The policy, which took
effect on May 2, 2005, requires that NIH-funded research that has been
accepted for publication by a peer-reviewed journal be accessible
through an NIH digital library. The letter took issue with language attached
to the House Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations Bill for fiscal
year 2006, which fully endorses the NIH policy and recommends an
"aggressive education and outreach initiative" to maximize participation.
“Given Federal budget constraints,” the letter reads, “every effort
should be made to avoid establishing a federally administered and funded
program that would duplicate private sector publishing activities,
particularly one that may undermine the activities of nonprofit
peer-reviewed journal.”
The purpose of the letter was to call on the Senate Appropriations
Committee to include more tempered language in their spending bill report,
and to request that NIH provide information on the costs of carrying
out its policy and the existing availability of NIH research articles on
the internet. "This evaluation by the Committee should be a
prerequisite to implementing any further NIH publication policy."
The Senate Appropriations report language, which was released July 14,
2005, was supportive of the policy but less enthusiastic than the House
bill, and did not request the NIH to administer an outreach program.
To improve upon the policy, the committee did request the NIH provide
the policy's operating costs as well as an assessment of the policy's
impact on research availability and the peer review system.
Links to the full text of the House and Senate bill reports, as well as
the letter sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee, can be found at
http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis109/public_access.html
*** NIH Public Access Working Group Meets ***
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Working Group on Public Access
met with stakeholders on July 11, 2005. Since the Public Access policy
went into affect on May 2, 2005, NIH has received about 775
manuscripts, some older than 2 years and about 340 of them are unpublished. NIH
expected about 5500 article per month or 250 per day based on current
publication rates of NIH-funded authors, so compliance with the voluntary
public access is about 3 percent. Only 7 articles are actually posted
in the archive at PubMed Central as of July 11 and one of the articles
is a review article, even though review articles are not supposed to be
collected as part of the NIH policy.
The roster of members of the Working Group can be found at
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/od/bor/workgroup_roster.html
*** USGS Issues Report on Groundwater ***
The United States Geological Survey released a report entitled
“Estimated Withdrawals from Principal Aquifers in the United States, 2000” on
August 1, 2005. Major findings highlighted in their press release
include 76.5 billion gallons per day are withdrawn from aquifers for
irrigation (about 75% of the total usage), water supplies to homes and
businesses and self-supplied industrial uses. California and Nebraska use
more groundwater for irrigation than any other states; 8,910 million
gallons per day in California and 7,050 million gallons per day in Nebraska.
About half of the combined groundwater withdrawals are coming from four
principal aquifers: the High Plains aquifer (CO, KS, NE, NM, OK, SD,
TX, WY), the Central Valley aquifer (CA), the Mississippi River Valley
alluvial aquifer along the lower Mississippi River (AR, LA, MS, MO, TN),
and the Basin and Range aquifers predominantly located in the desert
Southwest (AZ, CA, ID, NV, NM, OR, UT).
The full report is available online at:
http://pubs.water.usgs.gov/circ1279
*** International Agreement Made to Reduce Methyl Bromide***
The United States has joined 189 nations in an effort to reduce the use
of methyl bromide, a crop pesticide that may damage the stratospheric
ozone layer. On July 1, 2005, the nations bound by the Montreal
Protocol of 1987 met in Montreal, Canada to discuss terms of the original
agreement intended to eliminate the use of ozone-depleting chemicals.
Although 20 developed countries have agreed to reduce the use of methyl
bromide by 20 percent in the next year, 13 countries including the United
States will be exempted from this effort due to “significant market
disruption” claimed by industries unable to find alternatives to the
pesticide. Developing countries have been asked to phase out methyl bromide
by 2015. The U.S. uses roughly 7000 tons of the chemical each year.
For information on this agreement, visit
http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=8147
*** AGI Becomes Founding Partner of the International Year of Planet
Earth ***
On June 19, 2005, the American Geological Institute became the founding
partner for the International Year of Plant Earth (IYPE) initiative in
the United States. AGI will join the Geological Society of London, and
18 associate partners, in an effort to designate 2008 as the IYPE.
Geoscientists in this country may now join geoscience organizations and
individuals around the world in this endeavor to increase public
awareness of Earth science, sustainable development, and responsible
stewardship. The International Union of Geological Sciences in conjunction
with United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) will make a formal proposal at the next United Nations General
Assembly meeting in New York to designate 2008 as the IYPE.
For more information, the AGI media advisory is available in PDF format
(110 KB): http://www.agiweb.org/news/IYPE_final.pdf
*** New National Report Card Shows Long-term Gains in K-12 Reading and
Math ***
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released a new
report of long-term trends in reading and math achievement for students
ages 9, 13, and 17 from 1971-2004. This “Nation’s Report Card”
discovered increasing success for blacks, whites, and Hispanics as well as a
decrease in the scoring gap between white and minority students.
Females outscored males on reading assessments in all three age groups, while
the male students scored higher on math assessments.
The entire report is available on the NAEP website:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/ltt/results2004/natsubgroups.asp
*** House Committee Finds $6 billion Unused Education Funds ***
The House Education and the Workforce Committee discovered that states
collectively returned more than $66 million of the appropriated
education funds to the U.S. Treasury this year. After analyzing Department of
Education data earlier this year, the Committee also found over $6
billion in unused funds accumulated between 2000 and 2003. "...It's only
appropriate that we look back at how the money Congress has already
appropriated has been used - or not used - over the past five years," said
Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-OH). The total amount of unused
federal education money appears to be increasing rather than decreasing,
causing concern that the President’s FY2006 proposed 51 percent increase
in K-12 funding may not effectively improve schools as intended.
More information is available through the House Education and Workforce
Committee website:
http://edworkforce.house.gov/press/press109/first/02feb/unspent020705.htm
*** Two Reports Address Teacher Pay and Quality in U.S. Public Schools
***
The National Education Association (NEA) released a report in June
entitled “Rankings & Estimates: Rankings of the States 2004 and Estimates
of School Statistics 2005,” which shows that public school teacher
salary levels have grown only 2.9 percent over the past decade, even as
enrollment rates have risen, causing teacher shortages. Average teacher
salaries in fifteen states declined between 1993 and 2003 including
declines of five percent or more in Alaska, Kansas, Connecticut, Wisconsin,
and New York.
The National Academy of Education (NAE) also released a report this
month that summarizes research on effective teaching and offers policy
recommendations for improving teacher training and instructional quality.
Called a “landmark report” by the Triangle Coalition for Science and
Technology Education, the report concludes that, unless the nation
invests in teacher education, we will not achieve real progress in our public
education system. The NAE Committee on Teacher Education recommends in
the report that the government provide subsidies for teacher
recruitment, improve training programs in high need areas, and improve education
program funding overall. It also recommends the use of
performance-based teacher evaluations, stronger accountability and program monitoring,
and increased support for new teachers.
The full NEA report on teacher salaries is available in PDF (105 KB) at
www.nea.org/edstats/images/05rankings.pdf. The full NAE report is
available in PDF format (96 KB) here:
http://www.nae.nyu.edu/Introduction&Recommendations.pdf
*** NSF Recognizes Geologist in Distinguished Teaching Award ***
The National Science Foundation awarded 7 researchers with the
Director's Distinguished Teaching Scholars (DTS) prizes for having achieved not
only groundbreaking results in research, but for their strong teaching
and mentoring skills and major educational contributions. Professor
Paul R. Bierman, a geologist at the University of Vermont received one of
these awards. Paul is a geomorphologist whose research involves
isotope geochemistry, surface process, human-induced landscape change, and
rates of erosion. His work to couple science and education includes work
in the Governor's Institutes of Vermont, a residential program for high
school science students, and NSF's Career program combining research
and education.
"The awards are NSF's recognition of accomplishments by scientists and
engineers whose roles as educators and mentors are considered as
important as their ground-breaking results in research," said NSF Director,
Arden L. Bement, Jr. "These scholars are true pioneers, whose research
is molded into the fabric of education in ways that will benefit many
of tomorrow's young scientists," Bement added. "Beyond that, however,
there will be many other students - not science or engineering majors -
who will likely be influenced by these scholars as they enter the
workforce, and because of what they have learned about the value of
scientific inquiry, they will contribute to our society in many valuable ways."
The seven awards bring to 34 the number of awards NSF has made since
the start of the program since 2001. The DTS grants allow scholars to
conduct further research and education activities, or start new ones that
benefit their individual fields and the students they support.
For more information, visit
www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=8170.
*** Contribute to the New Earth Science Teachers Website ***
The National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA) has redesigned
their website, which includes a variety of tools useful for earth
science teachers, including quick links to lessons and other information
covering a range of earth science topics, from space science to
oceanography. If you would like to contribute additional lessons and other
educational materials for use by NESTA, please email your suggestions to Carl
Wozniak at cwozniak@nmu.edu.
View the new website at http://www.nestanet.org.
*** USAID Creates Natural Resources Library on the Web ***
The USAID Office of Natural Resources Management Office (NRM) has
developed a clearinghouse of online resource libraries that provide
immediate public access to studies of biodiversity, forestry, land management
and water from around the world. An interactive map of the world links
seamlessly to over 450 project summaries and 3,100 USAID reports
assessing natural resource use as it relates to armed conflict, tourism,
poverty reduction, and the aid of geographic information systems. The
website serves USAID mission staff, contractors and other stakeholders to
enhance decision-making and project planning, and to communicate the
agency’s work to the global community.
The library is accessible through http://www.nric.net.
*** Key Federal Register Notices ***
Below is a summary of Federal Register announcements regarding federal
regulations, agency meetings, and other notices of interest to the
geoscience community. Entries are listed in chronological order and show
the federal agency involved, the title, and the citation. The Federal
Register is available online at
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/frcont05.html. Information on
submitting comments and reading announcements are also available online
at http://www.regulation.gov.
EPA: The EPA is taking final and direct action to correct, amend and
revise provisions in the Highway Diesel Rule and the Non-road Diesel
Rule. Minor corrections will clarify the regulations governing compliance
with diesel fuel standards, primarily focusing on the Non-road rule.
The corrections will also designate and track provisions to account for
companies within the fuel distribution system. Finally, the revisions
will affect the generation of fuel credits, allowing refiners better
access to early highway diesel fuel credits. The purpose of this
amendment is to ensure a nationwide, smooth transition to ultra low-sulfur
diesel fuel. [Federal Register: July 15, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 135)]
BLM: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has restored mining claims and
sites from $25 to $30 per mining claim or site. The annual maintenance
fee has also been restored, from $100 to $125 per mining claim or site.
All mining claim holders must pay the new fees for all mining claims or
sites recorded on or after June 30, 2005. [Federal Register: July 1,
2005 (Volume 70, Number 126)]
*** New Updates to Website ***
Public Access to Federally-funded Scientific Research (7-27-05) Energy
Policy Overview (7-26-05) Hearings on Science Education and U.S.
Competitiveness (7-25-05) Hearings on Climate Change Issues (7-25-05)
Hearings on Water Resources (7-21-05) Oceans Policy (7-20-05) Tsunami Response
(7-20-05) Hearings on Wind Hazards (7-19-05) Hearings on Homeland
Security and Science Research (7-19-05) FY2006 Department of Education
Appropriations (7-18-05) House and Senate Energy Bill Comparison (7-18-05)
NASA Programs (7-15-05) Clean Air Issues (7-15-05) Hearings on Clean Air
Issues (7-15-05) Water Resources (7-15-05) Hearings on Flood Hazards
(7-14-05) Climate Change Policy Overview (7-12-05)
Monthly Review prepared by Linda Rowan, Director of Government Affairs,
Katie Ackerly, Government Affairs Staff, Anne Smart, 2005 AGI/AIPG
Summer Intern, John Vermylen, AGI/AIPG Summer Intern, and Amanda Schneck,
2005 AGI/AIPG Summer Intern.
Sources: Greenwire, Environment and Energy Daily, Environmental News
Network , National Assessment of Educational Progress, Triangle Coalition
for Science and Technology Policy, American Geological Institute press
release, Washington Post, American Institute of Physics, House
Appropriations Committee, Senate Appropriations Committee, House Science
Committee and House Energy and Commerce Committee.
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2) AGI ACTION ALERT: MORE CONGRESSIONAL VISITS DAYS IN SEPTEMBER
Although the economy is showing signs of a rebound, we are still
fighting a war on terrorism at home and abroad. With the President's goal of
cutting the deficit in half over the next five years, spending cuts
will be made in upcoming budget years. Federal geoscience agencies are
feeling the pressure, and it is important that these investments in the
future be maintained. More than ever, the geoscience community needs to
make a strong case to Congress about the value of these programs.
Each spring, the Science-Engineering-Technology Congressional Visits
Day (CVD) brings more than 200 scientists and engineers to Capitol Hill
to visit Members of Congress and their staff right at the start of the
congressional budget cycle. This year, CVD took place on May 10 - 11,
2005. It consisted of an opening day of briefings by key administration
and congressional leaders (including a morning pre-briefing sponsored
by AGI and AGU for geoscience participants) followed by a day of
constituent visits with senators, representatives, and their staff (a brief
summary of the AGI visits is provided below and a summary of all the
visits is at http://www.aas.org/policy/cvd/.
Because the May CVD was so successful and it is so vital for scientists
to communicate with Congress, we are organizing a mini-CVD on September
13-14, 2005. The event will bring together many scientists and
engineers from many disciplines for a brief overview of priorities on
September 13 followed by visits on September 14.
We can help arrange your visits, either as an individual or as a group
and we can provide you with information about government processes or
updates on legislation being considered.
Participants are asked to carry forward a core message that federally
funded research is the Nation's foundation for the future. In addition,
participants can advance their own messages about programs that they
see as valuable examples of the federal science and technology enterprise
emphasizing, for example, the value of the geosciences to the economy
and national security.
It is vital for geoscientists to be represented in science-community
efforts if our discipline is to be a distinctly recognizable and valued
element of the congressional view of "science." For anyone interested
in science policy, this is an opportunity to meet your elected officials
and experience Washington, DC policymaking and budget. In addition,
although it is a very busy time for Congress and their staff, they do
want to hear from their constituents and they are very enthusiastic about
meeting scientists, hearing about their work and understanding how
geoscience research and development may relate to national priorities, such
as a healthy and robust economy and a secure nation. We especially
encourage the leadership of AGI's Member Societies to attend these visits
on September 13 and 14.
If you have participated in CVD previously, this is a chance to
continue building a relationship with your Members of Congress and their
staff. If not, there is no better time than now to sit down and talk about
funding priorities that are important to you and the larger science,
engineering and technology community. Because Congressional offices are
notoriously small, your meeting may be in the Member's office, before
or after a committee hearing or while walking down the hall to vote.
Whatever the situation, the experience is sure to be memorable.
More information about CVD and the core message is available on the CVD
website at http://www.setcvd.org. In addition, AGI has a number of
articles and updates on its Government Affairs website
(http://www.agiweb.org/gap) that can provide background and context for
some of the issues you may want to discuss.
If you would like to participate on September 13-14, have any questions
or would like our assistance in setting up a visit, call Linda Rowan in
AGI's Government Affairs Program at (703) 379-2480 x228
rowan@agiweb.org.
CVD is organized by the Science-Engineering-Technology Work Group (of
which AGI is a member). However, the September visits are being
organized by the Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF). Although many
of the organizations involved in CNSF are also major participants in
the SET Workgroup's annual Congressional Visits Day (CVD), the visits
this September will take on a more specific core message than CVD, urging
congress to support the overall budget of the National Science
Foundation. The coalition hopes to bring together a diverse array of
scientists and engineers from around the country to communicate the many
benefits of NSF-funded research.
If you are interested in meeting with your members of congress about
this important issue, please let us know by August 18, 2005.
For the complete alert, please visit the AGI Government Affairs
Website, at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis109/cvd0805_alert.html.
Information about the Coalition for National Science Funding can be
found at http://www.cnsfweb.org.
************* Summary of CVD on May 10-11, 2005 *************
Thanks to all who participated in the 10th annual Congressional Visits
Day (CVD) events on May 10-11, 2005. AGI hosted 12 participants, who
were joined by another 10 participants from AGU and visited 35
Congressional offices to raise visibility and support for federal investment in
science and engineering. After a day of presentations on the proposed
fiscal year 2006 budget for federal geoscience programs, our visitors
spent a day sharing their concerns and expertise with representatives,
senators and their staff from 10 states.
Among our visitors, Dr. David Bieber, President of the Association of
Engineering Geologists and an expert on natural occurring asbestos,
became a valuable contact to members of the California delegation,
particularly to staff in the office of Senator Feinstein (D), who was busy in a
mark-up of the asbestos trust fund bill. Wayne Pennington, a
geophysicist at Michigan Tech University, offered Michigan delegates special
insight into the direct benefits of federal R&D programs in university
science education. During an introductory breakfast on the morning of the
visits, Mike Jackson, a geologist from Earthscope, was able to talk
with Representative Jay Inslee (D-WA) about the Plate Boundary Observatory
project that is underway in Inslee's home state.
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4) POSITION OPENINGS
2005-057
James Madison University
Applied, Shallow Earth, Geophysics
The Department of Geology & Environmental Science at James Madison
University seeks applications for a tenure track position at the assistant
professor level, beginning Fall 2006. A Ph.D. at the time of
appointment is required. Responsibilities include teaching undergraduate courses
in applied geophysics and other courses in the geosciences for both
majors and non-majors. High quality research involving undergraduates is
expected.
Applicants should submit: 1) a cover letter, including the names and
contacts of three references, 2) a curriculum vitae, and 3) a statement
of teaching philosophy and research interests to:
geophysics@csm.jmu.edu
Additional supporting materials should be mailed to: Dr. Lance E.
Kearns, c/o Geophysics Search Committee, Dept. of Geology & Environmental
Science, MSC 7703, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807.
Review of completed applications will begin after October 14, 2005.
Please visit our website at http://www.jmu.edu/geology for additional
information and an expanded description of this position.
James Madison University is an equal opportunity/Affirmative
Action/equal access employer and especially encourages applications from women,
minorities and persons with disabilities.
* * * * * * * * * *
2005-068
Department of Geology, University at Buffalo, SUNY
Three faculty positions
The Department of Geology at the University at Buffalo is building on
sustained growth in research productivity and teaching in its core areas
of environmental geology, volcanology, and integrated tectonics and
stratigraphy. We invite applications for three tenure-track faculty
positions:
1. Nanogeochemistry, Biogeochemistry, or Geomicrobiology (Rank:
Assistant Professor). We seek a scientist who studies aqueous /microbial /
rock interactions at the nano-scale and who will integrate with our
existing strength in hydrogeology. Research topics might include
identification, characterization, and study of the reactivity of nanoparticles
or nanostructures in the environment, or examining the interactions and
biogeochemical processes associated with microbes and minerals.
Researchers interested in applying nano-scale geochemistry to environmental
problems are particularly encouraged to apply. Search Committee Chair:
Dr. Richelle Allen-King. Application target date: Oct. 15, 2005.
2. Remote Sensing (Rank: Assistant or Associate Professor). We seek a
broadly trained geoscientist who employs an array of airborne and
space-based remote sensing tools to address geological questions that
complement and integrate with one or more of our existing research
strengths. Areas of particular interest include geohazard evaluation,
assessment of water or petroleum resources, and climate change. Search
Committee Chair: Dr. Marcus Bursik. Application target date: Nov. 1,
2005.
3. Hydrogeophysics or Environmental Geophysics (Rank: Assistant
Professor). We seek a scientist with demonstrated ability to apply geophysical
techniques to the shallow subsurface and who will integrate with our
existing strength in hydrogeology. Researchers with expertise in GPR,
ER, or seismic, and an interest in extracting geologic and hydrologic
data from complex datasets for the purpose of characterizing or
remediating contaminated geologic systems are of particular interest. Search
Committee Chair Dr. Richelle Allen-King. Application target date: Nov.
15, 2005.
We expect faculty to develop and maintain innovative, extramurally
funded research groups. Successful applicants for these positions must
have a Ph.D. degree at the time of appointment and a demonstrated
potential to publish or otherwise disseminate results of research and a
commitment to effective teaching. Teaching duties will involve undergraduate
and graduate level courses in the candidates’ specialties. More
information about our department can be found at:
http://www.geology.buffalo.edu. The University at Buffalo is an Equal
Opportunity Employer/Recruiter. We committed to the importance of a
diverse faculty. Women and minorities are particularly encouraged to
apply.
Send applications to Robyn Wagner by email to rlwagner@buffalo.edu or
post to Department of Geology, 876 Natural Sciences Complex, University
at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260. Applications should state clearly the
position applied to and include (1) a curriculum vitae, including
published research and grant support, (2) a statement of research goals, (3)
a statement of teaching experience and interests, (4) selected
reprints, and (5) the names and contact information of at least three
references. Applications should be complete by the target dates given above,
when we will begin our review of candidates, which will continue until
the positions are filled.
* * * * * * * * * *
2005-072
Icicle Creek Engineers
Staff Geotechnical Engineer or Geologist
Icicle Creek Engineers is seeking a Staff Geotechnical Engineer or
Geologist for our Issaquah, Washington office. Responsibilities and job
requirements include:
• Field work and drilling oversight, including USCS classification of
soils
• General construction monitoring and compaction density testing
• Soils lab testing
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• A desire to develop technical writing skills
• Some travel required for projects in eastern Washington (Roslyn area)
This position is available immediately for the candidate who has:
• 0-4 years experience in implementing field programs for geotechnical
investigations; additional environmental field experience is a plus
• BS, with MS in geotechnical/geological engineering or engineering
geology preferred
• Experience with construction monitoring
• Troxler Nuclear Gauge certification (preferred)
• Basic soils lab testing experience (preferred)
• Committed to team work and having fun in the workplace (required)
•
Please visit our web site at www.iciclecreekengineers.com for more
information regarding Icicle Creek Engineers. Interested and qualified
candidates should fax or email cover letter and resume to 425-427-6629 or
kkillman@iciclecreekengineers.com.
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5) CONTACT INFORMATION
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