T395 The Future of the Geoscience Workforce: Preparing for Traditional and Non-Traditional Geoscience Careers
Wednesday, 30 October 2013
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Room 405
GEOSCIENCE AND PUBLIC POLICY
Paper number: T395-14
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 4:15 PM – 4:30 PM
Authors
Abstract
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.