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12 November 2020
Congratulations to the newly-elected leaders!
We are excited to have such a distinguished group of individuals who have been elected to serve AGU and our community.
2 November 2020
AGU’s September board meeting: a focus on governance
September’s board meeting was a special one. We all realize the importance of governance and not resting on our laurels. Planting a shrub is not sufficient, it still needs water, nurturing and pruning.
9 September 2019
AGU supports scientific integrity and the critical work of government scientists
AGU believes in science free of interference and political influence. We support our members and all scientists at federal agencies in the U.S. and around the world who make decisions and announce findings based on evidence and incontrovertible facts. These scientists, including those at NOAA and the National Weather Service, frequently provide research that protects our lives, communities, economy, and security. Interference with their work can impact lives and property …
2 August 2019
AGU Commends the Bipartisan Budget Agreement of 2019
This week, the United States Congress passed the Bipartisan Budget Agreement of 2019, which was signed by President Trump. On behalf of the global AGU community of 60,000 Earth and space scientists, I’d like to thank the champions for science on Capitol Hill, as well as the leadership in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, for passing a budget that puts non-defense spending, which includes funding …
2 May 2019
How AGU Is a Leader in the Fight against Climate Change
AGU represents a global community of more than 60,000 Earth and space scientists. The peer-reviewed research of our members has unequivocally concluded that climate change is real, occurring now, and is driven by human activity. The threat it poses to our human survival and the environment is real and serious. But there is hope. Collectively, we can address this challenge. This is the theme I carried with me to the …
12 March 2019
AGU Responds to White House’s Budget Proposal for FY 2020
On 11 March, AGU issued the following statement from Executive Director/CEO Chris McEntee “AGU Responds to White House’s Budget Proposal for FY 2020.” Click here to read the full statement. Make your voice heard on this critically important issue by reaching out to your member of Congress today to tell them how valuable science is their community and across the nation, and why they should support a fiscal year 2020 budget …
6 February 2019
Use Your Voice to Make the State of Our Union Stronger
Last night, under the cloud of a delay resulting from the longest shutdown in the history of the United States federal government, President Donald Trump delivered the second state of the union address of his presidency. As in 2018, he again failed to acknowledge the role scientific research plays in advancing our society and economy. Earlier this morning, I issued my own response to the President’s State of the Union, …
31 May 2018
Following the FY19 Science Budget
With the federal spending bill process for FY19 well underway, AGU has been tracking how our federal science agencies are faring. The process has a long way to go yet, but with some preliminary numbers in for each of the science agencies, I wanted to let you know where things stand today. Currently, the House Appropriations Committee has considered two FY19 appropriations bills that relate to science – The Commerce, …
25 May 2018
Updates to AGU’s Master Privacy Policy
AGU is committed to safeguarding our members’ and users’ privacy and safety, and to updating our privacy policies and processes to keep pace with emerging best practice and the evolving body of law concerning privacy. The latest update to AGU policy is reflected in our Master Privacy Policy, which now includes a section concerning our commitment to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a new European Union (EU) law on …
2 May 2018
AGU Speaks Out Against Dismantling of Puerto Rican Statistics Agency
Earlier this week, AGU signed onto a letter to Puerto Rico’s governor and leaders of its House and Senate. The letter voices concern over Governor Ricardo Rosselló’s efforts, and now an approved plan by the Puerto Rican legislature, to overhaul the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics (PRIS), an independent government statistics agency. The plan would bring PRIS under the Department of Economic Development and Commerce and outsource the agencies work …
9 April 2018
Undergraduate Research Week: Celebrating the Future of Scientific Global Research
Not only is April the month in which we celebrate Earth Day, but it also marks the commemoration of Undergraduate Research Week. This celebration was first created to highlight the valuable contributions of undergraduate research in making new discoveries, lifting up undergraduate research voices, and demonstrating to wider audiences the breadth and diversity of the undergraduate research enterprise. Due to the advocacy of undergraduate research leaders within the Council on …
16 March 2018
AGU Endorses the 2018 March for Science
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 …
12 February 2018
President Trump’s Proposed 2019 Budget Would Damage the Scientific Enterprise and the Nation
Today, President Trump unveiled his proposed budget for 2019. Included within this proposal are steep increases in defense spending and infrastructure, much of which comes at the expense of funding for the federal scientific agencies that provide the technical expertise to realize the President’s policy priorities. The NSF would be flat funded, receiving no increase in funding to support their pivotal, basic research 19.63% cuts to NOAA programs including coastal …
31 January 2018
President Trump Skips Science in His State of the Union Address
Last night, in his first State of the Union speech to Congress and the American people, President Trump addressed some of the challenges and opportunities facing the nation. In his remarks, the President talked about a number of issues, including immigration and infrastructure, that his Administration has prioritized in the near future. What is especially concerning is what the President did not talk about. President Trump failed to acknowledge that …
20 January 2018
2018 Government Shutdown: The Second in Five Years
For the second time in five years, congressional and presidential impasses have resulted in a shutdown of the federal government. The repercussions of this shutdown destabilize scientific federal agencies that are essential to the nation’s economic stability, public health, and national security. The far-reaching costs of such a shutdown are very real. For example, in 2017 alone, the United States experienced 16 major weather and climate disaster events, resulting in …
10 December 2017
AGU Council Recommends “Cool Science” at Fall Meeting
We are experimenting with the introduction of scientific “neighborhoods” – Earth Interior, Earth Covering, Beyond Earth, and Scientific Nexis – in New Orleans at the Fall Meeting. The convention center is very long and spread out, and so to make more time for conversation between disciplines and reduce travel time, the Poster Hall and Session rooms will be oriented around these neighborhoods. Today the AGU Council, AGU’s scientific leadership as …
5 December 2017
Exciting Section and Focus Group News: The American Geophysical Union announces new engagement pilots, simplified naming structure, and new GeoHealth section
As many of you may know, AGU has been working for the past several years to understand how our science structure could be expanded to better enable people to collaborate and connect to others with shared interests and goals. The Affiliation and Engagement Task Force investigated a wide variety of options that might better serve the needs of AGU today, and into the future, before recommending a new model to …
16 November 2017
Defending U.S. Government Employed Earth and Space Scientists
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 …
2 August 2017
FY2018 Spending Bill Passes House, Delivering Steep Cuts to the Department of Energy
President Trump campaigned as a proponent of technological innovation and development. Yet his proposed fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget slashes funding for research programs at the Department of Energy (DOE). Congress isn’t bound to follow the President’s proposed budget, but last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the FY2018 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, in which they reduced the overall DOE budget by 9.5% below FY2017 levels and eliminated …
12 July 2017
Stand Up for Earth and Space Science: Meet with Your Legislator During August Recess
“We need to tell that story,” said my Senator, after I told him how NOAA’s Sea Grant Program budget is only $73 million/yr, even though it helps hundreds of communities to prepare for hurricanes and storm surges and manage coastlines1. I suspected that he would be a strong supporter of science, but I didn’t realize how appreciative he would be to have a clear narrative that he could share with …
