Early today, former AGU’s Board member John Bates published a letter outlining what he believes to be mismanagement of climate science data in a highly-cited scientific paper, “Possible artifacts of data biases in the recent global surface warming hiatus” (Tom Karl, et al. 2015). A story about that letter was also published in The Daily […]
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Earlier today, the Trump administration announced plans for the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Eric Davidson, Robin Bell, and I published a related article in Eos as a response to President Trump’s decision. You can read that article here. AGU also issued the following media statement in which I said the following:
When signed in December 2015, the Paris Agreement marked a historic moment. Representatives of 195 nations came together to commit to lowering greenhouse gas emissions to help slow the far-reaching effects of climate change to the nation and the world.
Today, in making a troubling, shortsighted decision to withdraw the U.S. from the agreement, the Trump Administration has signaled to the world that it does not value the urgency with which we must act on climate change.
AGU past president Margaret Leinen – who was present at the proceedings of the Paris Agreement – noted that by adopting the agreement, the signatory nations had taken decisive steps to collectively reaffirm the real and serious effects of climate change, while laying out a strategy that would keep global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius, thus helping to lessen the most severe impacts on people’s lives and society at large.
Far from being a poor investment for the United States, the Paris Agreement represents the global community’s best chance of limiting both the risks and costs to the global economy from climate change. In 2012 alone, climate disasters cost the U.S. economy more than $100 billion. Moreover, U.S. involvement in the agreement allows us to stay in the race for the technological and economic benefits of a clean energy future. In contrast, by withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and turning our back on the global community, we upend the efforts by U.S. businesses to compete globally.
AGU has recognized that humans are the primary driver of modern climate change and has called for an urgent response since 2003, the year we first issued a position statement titled, “Human-Induced Climate Change Requires Urgent Action.” As the scientific consensus only grows stronger, our position has not changed. As the world’s largest scientific society of Earth and space scientists, AGU “stands ready to contribute to the agreement’s call to ‘strengthen scientific knowledge on climate, including research, systematic observation of the climate system and early warning systems, in a manner that informs climate services and supports decision-making.’ ”
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Heraclitus of Ephesus, the pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, is credited with the oft cited quotation that “All things…are in flux like a river.” At AGU this is indeed true as well. After six years as AGU’s Chief Operating Officer, Frank Krause, our Chief Operating Officer will be leaving AGU to assume the CEO role at the Federation of American Societies in Experimental Biology (FASEB), a well-established scientific society that advocates and supports the advancement of biological and biomedical sciences.
Frank has been as valuable and trusted partner to me, staff, and volunteer leaders alike. During his tenure as our COO, Frank’s vision and leadership has helped strengthen AGU internally and reinforced our reputation as the preeminent international Earth and space scientific society. Among his many accomplishments and contributions, Frank has led the transition of AGU’s publishing model to a partnership with Wiley, laying the groundwork for many new innovations of increased value to our author community; grown our international network and relationships, so that today AGU has increased global collaboration among our members, has achieved a strong partnership with JpGU, and fostered many valuable connections that are bearing fruit in China and elsewhere; spearheaded the development of our multiyear implementation plan, which provides AGU with the discipline to prioritize and define a long-term view of our desired future as well as an understanding of the resources required to achieve our strategic goals; and, perhaps paramount, demonstrated through his actions and relationships the values that AGU holds dear, including integrity, respect and accountability. He has encouraged many of us, and expected the best from all of us and himself.
Frank’s career goal has been to assume an association CEO role. While he was not contemplating leaving AGU, this opportunity found him, and it was one he couldn’t pass up. Thomas O. Baldwin, FASEB President-Elect and Chairman of the Executive Director Search Committee said, “Frank was the unanimous choice to lead the implementation of the FASEB’s vision for the future. We are looking forward to working with Frank as we move forward with providing maximum value to our members as well as the broader community of researchers in the biological and biomedical sciences.” We will miss him and I hope you’ll join me in congratulating him on this exciting opportunity.
Fortunately, Frank has provided us with more than enough notice to ensure an orderly transition. We have a very strong and stable organization, forward thinking volunteer leadership, and most importantly our capable, competent and committed staff. I am confident we will continue to achieve our goals and aspirations. Our collective flexibility, and extra efforts to ensure teamwork and communication often and openly will help ensure we stay on course.
John Quincy Adams said “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” All of who know Frank know that he has inspired us to dream, learn and do. I am thankful to Frank for his many contributions, and for how he has inspired all of us to dream, learn, do and become. He is leaving AGU far stronger and more resilient than when he joined us, and we wish him much success.
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AGU has long been a proponent and leader in open data and open science, not only in our own publications and meetings, but also within the broader research community. I’m pleased to announce that we have taken that commitment to the next level today by launching an Application Program Interface (API) that will open the door for scientists, developers, and others to create innovative applications that advance science and our mission. We are celebrating this development with our first API Challenge. The Challenge provides access to Fall Meeting data drawn from the scientific program and invites participants to develop web-based tools that add value, such as, but not limited to, aiding serendipitous discovery of relevant research, finding new collaboration opportunities, and identifying emerging areas of science.
Entries will be judged by a panel of experts, with up to three winning solutions selected for recognition with cash prizes of $15,000, $10,000, and $5,000. The winners will be announced in November and recognized at the December 2017 Fall Meeting. Their applications will be made available for use before and at the meeting. For more information about the challenge or to register to participate, visit our website.
We intend to grow our API program to include data from other AGU sources, and to continue to invite participation from our community. This program represents the latest visible step in a digital strategy that began in 2014 when we transformed Eos from a members-only weekly print publication into a dynamic, open Earth and space science news website and an informative monthly member magazine. Eos.org launched in December of 2014 and the magazine launched in January of 2015, and both have since been honored with several awards.
This Eos transformation was built on AGU’s century-long effort to provide support and services to the scientific community. That effort includes our scientific journals, technical publications, and scientific meetings, as well as our efforts to promote and share scientific discoveries and insights with a wide variety of audiences and facilitate essential collaboration between researchers and other stakeholders in the public and private sectors. We are fortunate to have a legacy of scientific discovery and advancement, and to have an established reputation as an authoritative voice for Earth and space science.
AGU is not resting on that legacy. Rather, we are looking forward to the next century of Earth and space science, where success depends in large part on the quality and relevance of digital communications and engagement that meets the needs of diverse online users (members, the broader Earth and space science community, and others). Our current suite of digital products is not yet serving this aspiration and limits our ability to meet your needs for information about your field and new discoveries and trends in science, as well as to give you a platform that can foster experimentation within AGU’s membership and the worldwide Earth and space science community.
To remedy this situation, we are undertaking a new holistic, user-focused approach to our digital products and services. We understand that modern user experiences are rapidly moving away from the delivery of static web content and websites (which we currently use today), toward an application-based model in which content from disparate sources is delivered dynamically and responsively over any kind of browser or device, based on a user’s preferences.
Our digital strategy embraces this modern, flexible approach, and is grounded in the idea that AGU should be able to integrate all our rich content and data, and then make it accessible through a variety of applications and resources that support specific business and scientific needs. The API program is a building block for this strategy, and we look forward to its expansion. Over time, we believe that the products developed by AGU and by our community will enhance and transform our members’ and stakeholders’ ability to find each other, connect, share information, and expand upon their discoveries, making the work of Earth and space scientists easier and more productive than ever.
While this digital transformation won’t happen all at once, work is underway to build the architecture needed to support such a platform(s). You will begin to see changes in the way AGU provides content and services as early as 2018, and we look forward to using your feedback on these initial offerings to further refine our strategy and plan for new and innovative products and services that will help you advance your science for the benefit of humanity.
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Authors: Rana Fine (chair of the COF steering team – moving forward) and Ana Barros (chair of the COF Task Force – creation of the COF)
First and foremost, we’d like to offer our sincere congratulations to this year’s newly announced 2017 Class of Fellows. This year, 61 AGU members joined a distinguished group, receiving an honor that is bestowed each year on an extremely select group (just 0.1 percent each year) of individual AGU members who have made exceptional contributions to Earth and space sciences. The program began in 1962 and today, there are nearly 1,400 living AGU Fellows.
While the title, “AGU Fellow” brings a certain weight and recognition to those who have been honored, there hasn’t been a clear path for AGU Fellows to collectively support education, community engagement and outreach opportunities for AGU members and promote excellence in our science. We recognized that missed opportunity and in April 2016, AGU’s Board convened a taskforce of AGU members to explore opportunities for engaging this highly respected and prominent group of members in ways that could benefit all AGU members. The task force spent a year and three months surveying current living Fellows and developing a mission and goals for this new program. Today, we’re proud to announce the creation of the AGU College of Fellows.
You may be asking, what is the College of Fellows? The College of Fellows program is new in the sense that AGU has formally given the group a name and a mission. The AGU Board recently selected a steering team of 16 fellows who will lead and shape the efforts and responsibilities of the College moving forward. While any member who is an AGU Fellow is automatically a member of the College of Fellows, participation in the College’s activities is voluntary. Ultimately, the College of Fellows aims to support the career development of scientists across all career stages and promote excellence and increased diversity within the Earth and space science community. The task force selected the following primary activities for the College based on input from current Fellows, including:
Although the full scope of these programs has yet to be completely fleshed out, these efforts will be guided by the above four distinct subcommittees. If you are an AGU Fellow and have any interest in participating in one of the subcommittees, please send us an email. We expect the College of Fellows to bring great value to all AGU members and allow AGU Fellows to lend their expertise and reach out to the Earth and space science community even more broadly. We’ll plan to keep AGU’s membership informed as things progress and, we encourage you to participate in the upcoming Town Hall at 2017 Fall Meeting as one of the first opportunities to engage with the College of Fellows.
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For days before it made landfall, the projections for Hurricane Harvey’s impact on Texas―and other parts of the Gulf Coast―were of devastation. Then, when the record-breaking storm arrived, our worst fears were realized as the region was inundated with 101-130 centimeters of rain, not to mention high winds and intense storm surge. Now, as we reflect on Hurricane Harvey, we do so acknowledging that other countries are suffering through catastrophic flooding events of their own and the Caribbean and south-eastern coast of the U.S. are monitoring Hurricane Irma. We are monitoring the impact of these natural disasters, both here in the U.S. and around the world, and we are working to identify AGU members who may be in Hurricane Irma’s path.
Many AGU members have dedicated their lives to understanding how these storms function, the kinds of havoc they can wreak on infrastructure and environmental systems, and how communities can safely and effectively recover and rebuild from the aftermath. Even as the flood waters have begun to recede in Texas, the true costs of Hurricane Harvey, including its toll on human life, remain unclear. Our primary concern remains with the safety and welfare of those affected, including research institutions and facilities. As the needs in these communities become clearer, we encourage you to continue to share recommendations about how AGU can be of assistance.
Several suggestions have already been offered. It was pointed out that members from the affected areas, who had submitted abstracts to the Fall Meeting, would have difficulty securing hotel rooms, given that the room block had just opened. AGU staff came up with an alternative plan for these members, and will be reaching out directly to abstract submitters in the affected areas to ensure that they have housing for the meeting.
Many requests were made to ensure that there would be a place at the Fall Meeting where those who are already studying Hurricane Harvey’s impact could present their research. The Fall Meeting Program Committee has made arrangements for late-breaking sessions that will address the many aspects of this event and its implications: crowd-sourced data and social media in disaster response; policy implications; high resolution remote sensing; flooding and infrastructure damage; impacts on the environment and human health; changing coastal landscapes; oceanographic, atmospheric, and climatic factors contributing to the storm; data access and assimilation; and HPC and cloud computing for real-time analysis. There will likely be three to four total sessions, and at least one will be opened up in the new eLightning format (for which AGU will cover any additional fees). The committee is also considering allowing for additional invited speakers as needed.
These new Fall Meeting sessions are now open for abstract submissions. Please note that the deadline is 31 October, and that the first-author rule has been waived.
A discussion is also underway among the AGU Journals Editors-in-Chief about developing related special collections, as well as participation in the just-announced additional sessions. More on this as their plans take shape.
In addition, as many of you know, the Society of Exploration Geophysicists’ (SEG) annual meeting is scheduled to take place in Houston, 24 – 29 September. While it isn’t yet clear how much the damage wrought by Hurricane Harvey will impact this important scientific meeting, please know that AGU has reached out to the SEG leadership to offer our support in whatever ways are most useful to them and the success of their meeting.
I’d also like to draw your attention to a relatively new Thriving Earth Exchange (TEX) partnership with Flood Forum USA. TEX is an AGU-led program that works with communities to improve their resilience by leveraging Earth and space science to prepare for and mitigate the threats posed by destructive storms, flood and other hazards. Flood Forum USA supports grassroots flood groups across the country by helping them develop strategies for a sustainable future, and TEX is working with eight of their grassroots groups, including one based in Houston ― Residents against Flooding ― to connect them with scientists who can help them better characterize neighborhood level flood risks and work effectively with local decision makers to mitigate those risks.
While we are pleased to be able to offer these opportunities to our community in response to Hurricane Harvey, we recognize that this is only the beginning (and that another, potentially historic, storm may be just days away). With a historic storm of this kind, the recovery will take years, and there is much that AGU members can offer to and learn from this experience. AGU is committed to providing resources needed to facilitate that work. We are also committed to helping our members in the affected regions in every way possible, and we encourage individuals and institutions to share with us any ways they feel we could be of service.
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In nearly 100 years, AGU’s community – innovators, expansive thinkers and incisive researchers – has seen its fair share of discovery. We are proud of where we’ve been and what we’ve learned, and look eagerly ahead to the next phases of our journey.
As AGU approaches its Centennial in 2019, we recognize that the global and societal challenges we face today that are likely to become even more acute in the years to come. Our Centennial is the opportune time to broaden the reach of our voice and ignite an era of meaningful engagement between scientists and society where the value that our science brings is more widely understood and acknowledged. It is imperative that we, as a community, lead the way into the next 100 years by pushing the boundaries of our science and sharing it with the world.
We know that the future is uncertain, the pace of change and the types of challenge and opportunities that will face us are unknown, but it will undoubtedly be shaped by our past achievements. To celebrate our Centennial and document the moments that have defined Earth and space science, we are launching the AGU Narratives Project: a diverse collection of compelling scientific and personal stories that showcase our scientists, their experiences, and their hopes and concerns for the future.
AGU Narratives will be collected through a variety of methods, and we’re beginning with a call for personal accounts. If there is an Earth and space science story that you think we should be capturing, I encourage you to submit your idea to AGU Narratives.
We will also be partnering with StoryCorps Archives – one of the largest collections of human voices, featuring personal accounts of experiences from around the world – adding to the more than 400,000 stories already on record.
Using the StoryCorps app, you can easily record a story of discovery, a challenge, or even a favorite moment from your time in Earth and space science. You can share your own story or consider interviewing a colleague, friend, mentor or student. I hope you are as excited about this opportunity as I am, and I encourage you to download the app, visit the website, and share your story today!
Fall Meeting will also feature many Centennial moments. StoryCorps will be on site with a booth and their iconic Airstream trailer where they’ll be interviewing a select few about the challenges and achievements of the past Century. Attendees will also have a chance to find one of 100 Centennial ‘golden tickets’ hidden throughout the event. Look out for more information on these Centennial events and opportunities as we get closer to Fall Meeting.
These past 100 years are worth celebration and reflection. We’ve explored the unknowns of space and the depths of the oceans. We’re able to paint a picture of events that took place millions of years ago and we can glimpse into the future, predicting patterns in weather and natural phenomena. As we move into the next century, we will face challenges head on and work toward a bright future, together.
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Earth and space scientists work in key positions throughout the federal government. As civil servants, atmospheric scientists at NOAA, seismologists at the USGS, and hydrologists at the EPA– and frankly all other agency scientists – work to help fulfill their agencies’ missions and safeguard the health, economy, and security of all Americans. That’s why it’s so troubling to witness measures taken by some agencies to silence or even discredit federal scientists whose findings may run counter to the scientific narrative embraced by the administration.
In October, as reported widely in the media, the EPA barred three agency scientists who were scheduled to discuss recent scientific findings from speaking about climate change at the State of Narragansett Bay and its Watershed conference in Rhode Island. Although the scientists were ultimately able to attend the conference, they were not permitted to present their research. In the same month, a U.S. Forest Service scientist with the Rocky Mountain Research Station, who was scheduled to talk about the role that climate change plays in wildfire conditions, was denied approval to attend an Association for Fire Ecology conference featuring fire experts from around the country. And, as I described in a From the Prow post on 31 October, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt recently blocked scientists receiving EPA grants from serving on scientific advisory panels, implying that agency grantees have conflicts of interest despite already having passed conflict of interest reviews. This policy forces highly qualified scientists to choose between pursuing their science or serving on critical EPA advisory panels such as the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, and undermines the ability of the EPA to fulfill its mission “to ensure that all Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment.”
Further, the ability of federal scientists to present their research may be impaired, or even deterred, in more than one way. For example, some agencies have put much stricter review processes and/or budget caps on their employees attending professional science meetings.
AGU condemns, in the strongest terms, any systematic silencing of scientists, especially when censorship is driven by ideology rather than sound science. Interference in the scientific enterprise inhibits the development of the best science, impairs scientific careers, and reduces our nation’s ability to use critical data to inform decisions by policymakers.
In January, AGU signed a letter by scientific societies to then acting EPA Administrator Catherine McCabe, expressing the need to protect scientific integrity in the wake of “federal agency directives to cease communications with the public” which serve to upend “principles of sound scientific integrity.” In June, we again joined our colleagues from other scientific societies in a joint letter to President Trump addressing the pivotal need for scientific advisory boards, and urged federal agencies to “ensure that the process of obtaining scientific and technical advice follows the letter and spirit of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and is in accord with democratic principles of governance.”
AGU is committed to being a voice for science and working with policy makers to ensure scientists are able to do their best work free from ideological interference. We understand that for many this is a particularly anxious and unsettling environment. Thus, we want to ensure that you are aware of resources, like those from our colleagues at the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund (CSLDF), to aid those who might find themselves facing challenges including:
* How Scientists Can Protect Themselves
* Handling Political Harassment & Legal Intimidation: A Pocket Guide
And, if you are in fact facing a difficult work environment and wish to talk to someone about your rights as a scientist, we would direct you to speak with staff at the Government Accountability Project (GAP) as well as CSLDF, both of which can provide confidentiality while offering you guidance. Finally, if you’d like to write to the EPA about your concerns, we invite you to send a letter from our Policy Action Center. AGU stands shoulder to shoulder with scientists to ensure that the scientific enterprise remains strong, uncompromised by politics, and free from censorship or other interference.
Editor’s Note: GAP has provided the following resources that may prove useful to federal employees considering speaking out in a more public fashion.
* Whistleblowing Survival Tips
* Working with Whistleblowers: A Guide for Journalists, authored by GAP, this guide can provide an important reverse-resource for employees when they think about the risks and best practices of working with reporters.
* The Art of Anonymous Activism co-authored by GAP, The Project on Government Oversight, and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
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On 14 April, 2018, for the second time in as many years, the March for Science is occurring in communities across the globe. AGU is proud to again join as a formal sponsor of this worldwide event in support of science, and to offer direct support to AGU groups participating in local marches.
Over the last year, our community has spoken out about many of the policies enacted and statements made by the U.S. administration, agencies and members of Congress. Together, we have called on federal agency heads and Congress to protect scientific integrity and the open communication of scientific information, addressed the impacts of the President’s Executive Order withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Accords, and urged increased federal support for scientific investment. Throughout this tumultuous time, we have worked with you and others in the Earth and space science community as you have continued to take action. By formally endorsing the 2018 March for Science, AGU hopes to further strengthen and energize the collective voices of the Earth and space science community in support of science and scientific integrity.
This year, AGU is focused on supporting members’ participation in marches in cities and towns across the world.* We will provide assistance to AGU members who are attempting to organize 10 or more of their colleagues to attend local marches together. Selected organizers will be eligible receive up to $500 of reimbursable financial support. You may also receive material support in the form of the official the AGU March for Science banner; AGU March for Science posters and postcards; social media support; mentions on AGU.org; in a From the Prow blog post and/or other AGU blogs and communications.
The application form to receive in-kind and/or financial support can be found here and applications will be accepted through 26 March. If we receive multiple applications from the same city, we will encourage participants to band together as only one can be supported for each community.
Following the march, AGU will work with our members, colleagues and supporters to keep the momentum going by through our Sharing Science Network, Science Policy Alerts, periodic action alerts, and a discussion board on AGU Connect that will enable members to share their impressions of the march and related activities.
We hope that you will choose to join with your AGU friends and colleagues at your local March for Science on April 14 to help broadcast a strong message of support for science. Please be sure let us know of your interest by submitting an application by the 26 March deadline.
*AGU staff will organize the Washington D.C. March; please email Madeleine Tshiams to receive updates on these plans
Editor’s note: Please visit AGU’s March for Science webpage for downloadable links to March for Science posters, postcard, banner, application for support form, post-march resources and more.
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Denis-Didier Rousseau, Fall Meeting Program Chair
After a memorable edition in New Orleans, the 2018 Fall Meeting should take things to an even higher level. And while we have left behind doldrums of winter and entered the spring season, there is still time for you to be part of what will surely be a sensational meeting in Washington, DC in December. After the unique flavor and atmosphere of New Orleans, setting the Fall meeting in DC provides a special opportunity for you to become actively engaged as AGU begins its Centennial year celebrations.
Last year, new session formats were employed by conveners to help their sessions run more smoothly. Oral panel presentations provided the forums that members have been looking forward to for many years. Co-organized sessions also gained greater attention. They provided a great opportunity to address cross-disciplinary topics using that utilized an innovative platform allowing attendees to present their research in engaging and illustrative ways. Similarly, the attendees welcomed the new eLightning poster presentations – a new dynamic presentation tool that helped give these poster sessions the attention they deserve. In addition, the organization of the poster hall was reorganized into four “scientific neighborhoods” that shared similar research interests.
In 2018, with the start of the Centennial celebration, we have decided to include sessions within the regular program dedicated to AGU’s 100-year anniversary. In this same spirit, we would like to encourage this year’s conveners to submit Union Session proposals that are related to last year’s four scientific neighborhoods: Science Nexus, Earth Interior, Earth Covering, and Beyond Earth. AGU’s new GeoHealth platform, which looks to be an early success, has been elevated to an AGU section. So, we hope you will contribute your time and energy to help grow and strengthen this new program. Finally, AGU continues to take a leadership role in data management and citation in the sciences and we would very much welcome session proposals on these important topics.
Following the successful attempt at this year’s Ocean Sciences Meeting, tutorials will be part of the 2018 Fall Meeting experience. These talks are designed to have broad audience appeal to Fall Meeting attendees who might wish to learn more about a given topic they may be unfamiliar with. Proposals for tutorials are submitted the same way as sessions and will be overseen by the Fall Meeting Program Committee.
Being in DC, with all the scientific organizations and institutions in the area, presents a fantastic environment for Fall Meeting. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact, network, and socialize with new colleagues in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The Program Committee, AGU staff, and I are looking forward to an exciting program that will rely most strongly on your own contributions. Remember, 2018 is the kick-off of AGU’s Centennial celebration. We look forward to your participation in THIS EXCITING EVENT, which can be enhanced by your proactive proposal of exciting session topics. We cannot wait to read them!
The post A Preview of and Call for Submissions to the 2018 Fall Meeting appeared first on From The Prow.
AGU CEO/Executive Director Chris McEntee
Today, AGU submitted a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt in which we voiced a number of concerns about upcoming policy changes at the agency related to the transparency and accuracy of scientific information. (Read the full letter here.)
Specifically, the letter calls out the problems with a proposed policy mandating that the EPA consider only publicly available scientific data and information when crafting rule-making. These proposed requirements are based on the HONEST Act, a bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives in March 2017, despite significant criticisms from the scientific community over the likelihood that the bill would end up forcing the EPA to exclude data essential to making informed public policy decisions, thereby potentially exacerbating threats to public health and the environment.
In addition, we denounced the agency’s reported directives to its employees to use scientifically inaccurate information about climate change when talking to the public.
This letter follows AGU’s earlier public statement in response to President Trump’s Executive Order to overhaul the Clean Power Plan, and From the Prow posts about both Mr. Pruitt’s plan to disallow EPA grantees from serving on scientific advisory panels and statements questioning the scientific consensus around climate change.
AGU stands ready to work with Administrator Pruitt and the President to ensure that that best scientific information is shared freely with policymakers and the public to help guide decisions that will protect the nation. In a year in which the nation experienced 16 natural disasters, inflicting $215 billion in economic losses and claiming hundreds of lives, we must ensure the rapid and clear dissemination and use by decision makers of the most current, peer-reviewed scientific information.
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When AGU was founded, nearly 100 years ago, the world was a very different place. However, despite the century’s worth of change between 1919 and today, the ability of Earth and space science to improve our society—and the desire of scientists to provide those benefits to humanity—has remained the same.
That’s why, as we approach the celebration of our Centennial, we are
Centennial festivities will formally commence at the 2018 AGU Fall Meeting, which will take place 10–14 December in Washington, D. C. Some exciting programs are already under way, and today I’m incredibly proud to be launching “100 Facts and Figures.”
Public Outreach
Centennial campaigns are designed to be replicable so that institutions, labs, and other organizations can create their own versions.From now through the end of December 2019, AGU will be running a series of public outreach campaigns designed to highlight different aspects of Earth and space science, including its diversity, its humanity, and its impact on society. These campaigns are also designed to be replicable so that institutions, labs, and other organizations can create versions of the campaign for their own history and tie them in with AGU’s Centennial celebration. You can see the beginning of the first campaign—“100 Facts and Figures,” an evolving collection of groundbreaking facts and figures that showcase the history, breadth, and success of geoscience research, as well as the scientists whose work has had, and will have, an impact on peoples’ lives—by following the Centennial hashtag, #AGU100, on Twitter and Facebook. I encourage you to share these campaigns with your own networks to help us spread the word about AGU’s Centennial and the importance of Earth and space science.
Science Storytelling
Our science has an immeasurable impact on society. That’s why we are focusing on, and encouraging you to join us in, sharing inspiring stories of breakthrough scientific discoveries, amplifying the message of their impact on our global society.
Using historians, professional story gatherers, and public story-sharing opportunities, the AGU Narratives project will feature an array of individuals telling the diverse and captivating stories of how discoveries and careers were made, where inspiration was found, and how challenges big and small were overcome because of advances in science. As part of this project, we have partnered with StoryCorps, which was present at the 2017 AGU Fall Meeting, to record interviews with a number of AGU members and others. Zoe Courville and Lora Koenig’s story—“Mommy, You Can Do That: Navigating Work–Life Balance Thousands of Miles from Home”—was recorded at the 2017 Fall Meeting, then aired live on National Public Radio. We are also inviting you to use the StoryCorps app to record your own story and upload it to a dedicated AGU Centennial community on the StoryCorps Archive website.
Local Engagement
By communicating your science to society, you are contributing to the Centennial goal of building support for the next 100 years of discoveries and solutions. Equally as important as hearing the voices of scientists is being able to interact with them, which is why we’re also encouraging scientists to consider organizing their own events. AGU’s Centennial is about amplifying the accomplishments and stories of the past 100 years to build support for the next 100 years of discoveries and solutions. To Earth and space scientists the world over I say: By communicating your science to society and inspiring the world to see how Earth and space science can create a more sustainable future for us all, you will be contributing to that important goal. We have an array of tool kits and resources to help prepare you to engage with a wide variety of audiences. If you or your institution are planning an event in celebration of AGU’s Centennial, please let us know, because we would like to share and promote your efforts. And please stay tuned, because in a few weeks we will be announcing a new competitive grant program designed to support such efforts.
A Sample of Our Centennial Programming
AGU’s Thriving Earth Exchange (TEX)—which was the first project conceptualized to commemorate the Centennial—continues to help volunteer scientists and community leaders work together to use science to tackle community issues and advance local priorities related to natural hazards, natural resources, and climate change. By 2019, TEX is aiming to launch 100 partnerships, engage more than 100 AGU members, catalyze 100 shareable solutions, and improve the lives of 10 million people.
Similarly, AGU’s headquarters building in Washington, which began its net zero renovation in early 2017, was envisioned as a living embodiment of our mission. Now that construction is nearing completion, we are excited to have the building help advance the understanding of the importance and impact of Earth and space science by showcasing real-world scientific advancement through innovative, sustainable technology and a series of Earth and space science exhibits. I can’t wait to welcome you into this exciting new space during the 2018 Fall Meeting.
AGU’s journals are home to an exciting Centennial program that is already under way. A set of papers has been commissioned to explore where major research and discovery are needed to address fundamental questions in our understanding of Earth and the solar system. Each paper will review the history of the topic and the current state of knowledge, describing major unanswered questions and challenges and discussing what is needed to achieve the vision or provide solutions over the next decades. AGU will use the collection to showcase our science to policy makers, funders, and the public.
Looking Forward to 2019
This ever evolving and ever-growing celebration is made by and for our community. I am incredibly proud of each and every one of these examples. I’m equally proud to say that they are just one small slice of what AGU and our community have planned in celebration of our Centennial. This ever evolving and ever-growing celebration is made by and for our community, and I’m excited to see what kind of amazing ideas you come up with over the next 18 months.
Be sure to visit the Centennial website for the latest information about events, stories, and new ways that you can participate and lend your voice and energy throughout the year. We have a library of resources to help you plan your own events and be part of the Centennial, as well as inspiring stories from scientists around the world and fascinating information about the history and future of Earth and space science. You can even sign up to become a Centennial volunteer or nominate someone to be interviewed as part of the AGU Narratives project.
Through our Centennial, we step into the next era of scientific discoveries prepared to connect, inspire, and amplify the voices and contributions of this community for decades—even centuries—to come. We look forward to having you join in this journey.
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AGU President Eric Davidson
Frustration is mounting over nationalist policies in the U.S. and other countries, which are obstructing the free exchange of ideas and effective collaboration among scientists.
These policies have multiple impacts. The most immediate and visible human tragedies are borne by refugees and immigrants. At the same time, several academics have lost their jobs or their ability to carry out their missions where nationalist governments have restricted academic freedoms and defunded science and education. Sadly, enrollment of foreign students in U.S. universities appears to be on the decline, perhaps due to uncertainties regarding visas and concerns over reported xenophobic sentiments that our leaders appear to condone. Tightening visa restrictions in the name of national security also impedes the ability of scientists to work collaboratively to advance scientific discovery that benefits humanity.
While these trends are widespread, the actions and words of the Trump administration are receiving particular attention, for good reason. While we must respect differences of opinion regarding immigration policy and national security, we cannot remain silent when human dignity is violated, as we have recently witnessed. Equally disturbing are statements and actions that disregard the value of science-based evidence in policy making. So, what are the appropriate responses for scientific societies like the American Geophysical Union and its international membership? With about 40% of our members from outside of the U.S., this question clearly extends beyond American politics.
Support “What Science Stands For“
We must stand together to insist that scientific collaboration remains international, and interdisciplinary. I can certainly empathize with those outside the U.S. who might be considering boycotting meetings in America as a protest to several of President Trump’s policies and statements. But I would argue that such boycotts would simply advance the type of nationalism that we need to stand up against. The negative impacts of boycotts would not be felt by this administration, but the consequences for our science would be very real, indeed! As we face global challenges of managing the Earth system with human populations destined to exceed 8 and 9 billion people, we urgently need the of diverse scientific expertise and cultural perspectives that international meetings offer in order to find effective solutions.
This year’s AGU Fall Meeting in Washington DC is a particularly opportune time for showing solidarity. In addition to engaging key administration officials and bipartisan representatives of the U.S. Congress, we are inviting science attachés from several embassies and international agencies located in Washington. As always, the scientific program addresses Earth and space research. Consistent with this year’s theme of What Science Stands For, it will also feature sessions on ethics and workplace issues, such as sexual harassment, diversity and inclusion, and on career development matters, such as tenure and promotion. These topics are universally relevant, but they often have important culturally specific aspects that require diverse perspectives.
Based on what we are hearing from our members, I pledge that we will add a session on promoting international science in an increasingly nationalist world. We need you to help us stand up for What Science Stands For.
Communicating in Washington and beyond
While solidarity at meetings sends a huge signal, AGU is also working diligently in quieter ways. We are advancing bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress for science funding and policies protecting scientific integrity. We have established good working relationships with key administration appointees and career professionals within the agencies who are dedicated to advancing science. We are providing training and toolkits for our members across the world to learn to tell their stories effectively to community groups, school groups, congregations, businesses, the media, and decision makers at all levels. Engaging broadly in civil society to demonstrate the importance of science to society will be our most enduring strategy to counter the shifting political winds that follow election cycles and nationalist movements.
Science always benefits from diversity, and this is no time to allow the political climate in the U.S. and elsewhere to deter us from making our science great by fostering diverse contributions from our international membership. Whether it is this year’s AGU meeting in Washington, D.C., or any other scientific society’s meeting in the U.S. or elsewhere, I call on scientists across the globe to show solidarity for our shared values and to advance international science
Editor’s Note: This article has also been cross-posted in a slightly different form in Eos.
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Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton
AGU and AAS are the fortunate recipients of a major grant from The Kavli Foundation that brings together our communities to advance the science of exoplanets. I’m proud to be a part of these institutions, particularly at critical junctures in with exoplanetary research, since this is exactly the kind of action that needs to be taken at the institutional level to help move the science forward.
Exoplanet science ranks among those discoveries that inspire humankind to look beyond and think above the daily mundane. While the pace of this research has been progressing at a gallop – including the announcement of a real Earth 2.0 which has garnered great attention – it’s hard to say where this excitement will lead us next. All we can do is state where the research is currently and what it suggests as we look to the future.
With the great minds from many disciplines within AGU and AAS working together, from fields as diverse as astrobiology to observational engineering we’re well poised and motivated to meet this challenge. Together, we must continue expanding upon what we have already learned about exoplanets and use that knowledge to better understand the galaxy and our own family of planets.
Until recently, we have spent centuries in the Medieval structure of a single researcher owning a topic within an institution, and commanding of a pyramid of people working more or less under their leadership. This structure has brought amazing discoveries and rapid progress but it has had unforeseen costs as each. discipline has diverged others and resulted in “silos” of researchers that no longer even speak the same language and cannot understand each other’s results – for example, what is a “metal” to a planetary geologist, and what is it to an astronomer? For example, I think a lot about what makes a planet habitable: its composition, temperature, magnetic field, atmosphere and volatile compounds, the presence of liquid water, internal structure and volcanism, and all the bifurcations that make for a future conducive to life “as we know it.” This is the view of a terrestrial planetary scientist, studying in detail the activities and processes of the Earth and of our nearby rocky planets, and applying what I have learned to exoplanets. Then, the astronomy community replies to me, “But look at the panoply of examples we’ve found that lie outside your exemplars!” And then the game is on. A grant like this one from the Kavli Foundation is helping break down these walls. We need so much more of this.
To make truly interdisciplinary progress, such as is needed to understand exoplanets, teams need to be assembled around questions that no single discipline can explain on its own. We need to understand a common language. In short, we need to prepare for more interdisciplinary, unexpected futures. The exoclimes conferences have shown that bringing these communities together really makes a difference, and now, AGU and AAS can greatly multiply this effect.
So bravo to these organizations, and to all who are interested in exoplanets. We have a chance to show a better way to open a new field, a way that will give more important results faster, and ask bigger questions.
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AGU CEO/Executive Director Chris McEntee
AGU is pleased to see that President Trump has taken action to appoint Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier, a well-qualified scientist from our community, to head the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). After nearly 560 days, the longest any Administration has been without such crucial science advice, this nomination has been long in coming.
AGU has been consistently outspoken about the need for an OSTP Director to ensure that sound science informs administration policies that have sweeping consequences for the nation’s economy, security, and public health, and well-being. In an AGU-led online petition launched 21 November 2016, AGU urged President Trump to make appointing a Science Advisor an immediate priority and on 24 February 2017, 10,000 signatures were delivered to the White House. In a From the Prow post earlier this year, AGU once again called upon President Trump to move quickly to choose a qualified Director to run OSTP. nee
As the Vice President for Research and Regents’ Professor of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma and former vice-chair of the governing board of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Dr. Droegemeier not only has the scientific expertise necessary for this position but also experience advising policymakers and communicating science to a broad audience, skills that are crucial for the task at hand. He will have a tough job ahead of him. Without a director in place for such an extended period of time, personnel at OSTP have been essentially rudderless, working without clearly defined direction or goals. It will be the next Director’s job to bring strong leadership to the agency and chart a strategic direction for the office.
“The pursuit of scientific knowledge has been integral to country’s global leadership and is essential for informed decision-making. With the issues we’re facing as a nation and world today – from updating deteriorating infrastructure to combating health epidemics, providing clean air and water and securing valuable natural resources and minerals – we will need the expertise of scientists from across disciplines,” said AGU CEO/Executive Director Chris McEntee. “Heeding the advice of a qualified Science Advisor and OSTP Director can help to ensure that our nation makes the most informed decisions possible. Should Dr. Droegemeier be confirmed, AGU stands ready to assist him.”
This appointment cannot come quickly enough – right now, wildfires are raging across the western U.S., Europe and the Arctic, while record setting heatwaves are scorching the globe and many communities in Puerto Rico and elsewhere are still struggling to rebuild after past storms. The counsel provided by Director and the Office of Science and Technology Policy to bring scientifically sound solutions to the pressing issues facing our nation is more important than ever. We strongly encourage President Trump to afford scientific advice from Dr. Droegemeier the full respect it deserves and to treat the Director of OSTP as a full White House Science Advisor, as past Presidents have done.
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We are proud to announce that AGU is adding a new title to complement our distinguished portfolio of well-respected journals, AGU Advances. AGU Advances will be an influential and highly selective “gold” open access journal for the Earth and space science community.
How AGU Advances Is Different
AGU Advances will focus on publishing seminal research from across the Earth and space sciences and related interdisciplinary fields that has broad and immediate implications and is of interest to researchers across the Earth and space science disciplines, the broader science community, policy makers, and the public. It will publish novel, innovative research in the form of full-length papers and differentiate itself from other highly selective journals by being fully open access, available to all to download, read, and share.
Beginning with the inaugural issue in late 2018/early 2019, AGU Advances will be published online only. Papers published in AGU Advances will be approximately 8,000 words and include multiple figures and in-depth explanations of methods. Letters are approximately 4,000 words and typically include half as many figures. Most AGU Advances papers will be further enriched by plain-language summaries and open access commentaries to provide further context around the research, as well as increased efforts to publicize papers with the media. AGU Advances will aim to publish at most around 150 papers per year to allow for this enrichment.
AGU’s Portfolio of Journals
AGU, in partnership with Wiley, currently publishes an extensive, well-respected, highly cited, and frequently reported on portfolio of peer-reviewed scientific journals covering the breadth of research in the Earth and space sciences. AGU Advances will become AGU’s 21st journal and our fifth open access journal. The journals include Geophysical Research Letters (GRL), which publishes letters-length papers that merit rapid review and high attention across the Earth and space sciences. GRL is AGU’s largest journal and published more than 1,400 papers last year, indicating the broad popularity of this format and the strong reputation of GRL. GRL will remain AGU’s leading letters-length journal, and AGU Advances will serve as a complement to both GRL and the rest of our portfolio.
Why This Journal? Why Now?
During the past century, our global society has experienced myriad challenges and opportunities. Advances in Earth and space science have played a huge role in our ability to understand and potentially overcome those challenges and to take advantage of those opportunities. Today that same society is depending on Earth and space science more than ever to ensure our ability to address what lies ahead.
Throughout our 100-year history, AGU has been committed to finding ways to accelerate scientific discovery and the exchange of knowledge. That commitment led to the development of our prestigious portfolios of journals and the position of authority AGU has today. As we prepare to mark our Centennial in 2019, with the knowledge that the stakes are higher than ever, we intend for AGU Advances to build on the legacy and impact created by GRL and our 19 other distinguished titles, as it works to communicate the critical contributions Earth and space science makes to improving lives around the world.
Next Steps
The editorial board for AGU Advances will be formed from AGU’s College of Fellows and will include representation from each of our sections. We are currently searching for an enthusiastic and forward-looking scientist to serve as the journal’s inaugural editor in chief, who will work with our College of Fellows to form the full editorial team.
We are seeking an individual with a strong vision for the journal and for the future of Earth and space science. We are also working to hire a full-time Ph.D.-level managing editor, who will be responsible for supporting the authors and editors, as well as managing the commentaries.
We look forward to having you join us on this exciting new journey as we launch AGU Advances.
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AGU CEO/Executive Director Chris McEntee
As part of our Centennial celebration, AGU is pleased to announce the launch of an exciting new grant program, the Celebrate 100 Grants.
As we mark AGU’s Centennial, the Celebrate 100 Grants will be awarded to amplify the accomplishments and stories of the last 100 years of Earth and space science, build lasting connections between the research community and society, and inspire the world to see how Earth and space science can create a more sustainable future for us all.
Celebration events can range from a 1-day gathering in partnership with a local community group to innovative ways to support international collaboration in partnership with several institutions around the world to mentoring programs that help connect thousands of students to science in new and inspirational ways.
The Centennial is celebration of 100 years of the Earth and space science AGU represents and the dedicated, inspirational scientists that have made the last 100 years of discoveries, innovations, and solutions possible. Our history is a rich, complex, and important story, and paying tribute to that history—particularly to the diversity of the sciences we represent—is a critical part of understanding the possibilities of the future.
AGU’s Centennial is the start of the next transformational era of Earth and space science, and using the energy of those past achievements will help us to bring public attention to the value of our work and to accelerate the advancement of science. Who better to lead that celebration than you, the leaders and voices of our science? With this grant program we are striving to support the amazing ideas that we know you have for transforming our science, building bridges between our community and those we serve, and inspiring the world with the power Earth and space science has to benefit humanity.
We will be offering grants for activities with the goal of:
How will you transform our science, build bridges between our community and those we serve, and inspire the world with the power Earth and space science has to benefit humanity?
We will be accepting grant applications on a rolling basis from now through approximately the end of 2019. Grants will be awarded at two levels: (1) microgrants, which are up to $1,000, and (2) major grants, which are between $1,001 and $10,000. Grants are not limited to AGU members, and institutions are encouraged to apply.
We are looking for the following types of characteristics in proposed events::
In addition to supplying the grant funding, AGU staff will offer expert advice and support throughout the planning and execution of your event, as well as help you to use AGU’s extensive networks to promote your event/activity. Examples of potential events or activities might include launching a crowdsourced data rescue project, creating a mentoring program for graduate students, hosting an outreach program at your local middle school, creating an app that can convey Earth and space science and capture people’s attention, or buying a stall at a local farmer’s market for a season to have an “Ask the Scientist” stand.
As the Centennial progresses, we will be sharing information about all the events planned on the Centennial website, as well as in Eos, AGUniverse, From the Prow, and AGU’s various social media channels. We’re looking forward to the day when we can show you a map of the world filled with dots representing all the places where our community is celebrating the discovery-to-solutions journey of the last 100 years and the next 100 years of Earth and space science!
Apply for an AGU Celebrate 100 Grant now!
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Jamie Austin, Senior Research Scientist, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin
I recently made a one million dollar matching challenge grant to support AGU’s Fall Meeting Student Travel Grants and hope that you will join me in support of this program.
As humanity and the planet face ever more daunting challenges, science is under attack and facts are shrugged off, the evidence-based solutions that the geosciences provide are now more important than ever. I believe it is incumbent upon us ― as members of the world’s largest Earth and space scientific society ― to support the next generation of scientists who will be working on the front lines to advance the pursuit of knowledge helping to ensure a sustainable future for all. I can think of no better way to do this than by supporting AGU’s Fall Meeting Student Travel Grant Program and opening new doors for the future.
My own interest in geoscience began at an early age. I was fascinated by the Earth and geology and began collecting rocks and minerals as a teenager. Around the age of 15, I was exploring old mine shafts in the Adirondacks – how cool is that! Though my parents weren’t scientists, I would eventually end up earning a Ph.D. at the MIT-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Joint Program in Oceanography and Applied Ocean Science and Engineering. At WHOI, I was fortunate to meet an instructor, an oceanic Galileo, who took me under his wing and would become my Ph.D. advisor. And, though it was more than forty years ago, I still vividly remember my first AGU Fall Meeting. It was everything I could have imagined. I can recall the electricity of walking through the exhibition halls, the excitement of my first presentation, the camaraderie of sharing ideas and forging bonds with thousands of other geoscientists from near and far, and the intimidation and inspiration of rubbing shoulders with some of science’s brightest minds. In virtually no other field could a young professional have these opportunities. I was hooked.
Since graduating, I’ve held the same job as a full-time research scientist at the Institute for Geophysics at the University of Texas at Austin, where I have had the opportunity to teach, work with, and advise generations of students. More diverse and less siloed than their older peers, this current generation is both fearless and driven to work towards solutions that will ensure the resilience of the humanity in the face of mounting global problems. Many of them, however, have never had the opportunity to attend AGU’s Fall Meeting where they can share the experience of being immersed in a huge international gathering of geoscientists; where they can attend a session with an eminent researcher in their field or present their own work – some for the first time – to their peers; and where they can build professional bridges that may last a professional lifetime.
That is why I am issuing this challenge to the members of AGU. As we approach our Centennial year, I will match dollar-for-dollar – up to a million dollars – each gift given to the support the student travel grant program. It is my firm belief that private donations from members are key to helping grow and sustain the next generation of geoscientists. I am hopeful that, as a member of the AGU community, you will rise to this challenge.
Join me in me this effort that will help to ensure that every young geoscientist who wishes to attend AGU’s Fall Meeting will not be denied the opportunity to do so. Let your passion to support the sciences drive you. Be fearless. Be be part of the solution. THANK YOU!
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In 1990, President Ronald Reagan initiated the U.S. Global Change Research Program, and Congress mandated that a report be released at least every four years outlining what climate change – past, present, and future – means for the United States. In the decades since, four of the National Climate Assessments have been released and AGU members have played a role in each one as authors and as contributors of their science.
The report released today – the Fourth National Climate Assessment Volume II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States (NCA4 Vol. II) builds on the 2017 Climate Science Special Report (NCA4 Vol. I) by assessing the major impacts and vulnerabilities climate change poses to different sectors and regions in the United States. The findings are ever more concerning, and increasingly global in their implications.
As we near the end of 2018, we are all reflecting on the natural disasters the world has experienced this year and the thousands of lives that have been lost or impacted as a result. From devastating hurricanes and floods, to scorching heat waves, to the most recent wildfires–many of these kinds of extreme events are fueled or altered by a changing climate.
The report distills information from ten regions of the United States to examine new threats our communities face from climate change. It finds that our changing climate will exacerbate existing vulnerabilities, challenging or undermining efforts to protect human health and safety, quality of life, and the rate of economic growth. Whether you are a farmer in the Southwest who just lost their harvest from a drought, or an Alaskan native whose village is threated by declining permafrost, the report finds you at risk from climate change.
This latest NCA Volume also demonstrates how Earth and space science can inform the public and generate strong societal responses. We hope that our community will play an active role to address these impacts and help to create a more resilient future.
AGU is committed to leading on climate science by:
In just over two weeks, we invite you to come together with thousands of your colleagues from across the Earth and space community in Washington, DC for our Fall Meeting. Together we will show what science stands for.
As part of our Fall Meeting Program, two sessions highlight the findings of the Fourth National Climate Assessment. We hope to see you there.
Sessions:
As ever, AGU remains committed to our mission of promoting the discovery of Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity, on climate change and many other fields. We are excited to work with all of you to leverage the research to make a difference for our communities – in the U.S. and globally.
Also see AGU’s Media Advisory and Eos article, “What Specific Costs and Risks Do We Face From Climate Change”
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Over the last few days, many in our community have clearly stated on social media that AGU’s choice of Senator Cory Gardner for the AGU Presidential Citation is troublesome given some of his statements and actions in reference to climate change.
First, we acknowledge that we failed to communicate with the community about the citations and the reasons Senators Cory Gardner and Gary Peters were chosen. Second, we did not act to proactively address the concerns some of you have over Senator Gardner’s selection. While these were failures in process and not intentional, the result was the same: confusion and serious concern about this choice. For that we are deeply sorry.
We would like to clarify a few points:
Balancing the need to encourage broad bipartisan support for science in general and to address specific, critical scientific issues like climate change is an issue of concern for all of us, and one that we take very seriously. This is a complex and important strategic consideration for our organization, and we are discussing what AGU’s path forward should be. We will come back to you with more information about this in the coming days. In the meantime, we thank you for your continued passion for AGU and the role we play in society.
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