Paper No. 13
Presentation Time: 4:15 PM

GEOSCIENCE AND PUBLIC POLICY


WHITE, Kasey S., Director for Geoscience Policy, Geological Society of America, 1200 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20005, kwhite@geosociety.org

Many current public policy issues have a geoscience component: climate change, natural hazards, energy, and mineral resources to name just a few. In addition, Congress makes decisions that directly affect scientists, such as funding allocations and visa and travel policy. Yet few geoscientists are engaged in the policy-making process. Members of Congress have called on scientists to become more active, including Ph.D. physicist and former-Representative Vernon Ehlers (R-MI). In an address at the 2010 AAAS Forum on Science and Technology Policy, he told scientists, “The gulf between the scientifically minded and those who are not scientifically minded is still tremendous. I think we are keeping far too quiet about what we know and how we would go about solving problems. We have so much to offer this country … solutions to various difficulties.” This talk will provide information on avenues for geoscientists to more effectively engage in the public policy arena.
Handouts
  • 2013_10_GSAmeetingpolicytalk.pdf (496.9 kB)