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13 February 2020
President’s budget request is a disappointment for science
While a few vital science programs were funded, overall the president’s proposed budget is a severe disappointment for science and ignores the many ways in which science fuels our economy, safeguards our security, improves our health and well-being, and is critical for a thriving future.
3 July 2019
Protecting Science at the State and Federal Level
News coming out of Alaska right now reminds me how strongly science depends not just on federal but also state financial support. And it’s disheartening to hear that this crucial science funding is facing challenges at all levels. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy recently vetoed the state’s budget, which would mean huge cuts for the state – including a $130 million—or 41 percent—cut to the University of Alaska system’s funding from …
25 June 2019
AGU Calls Upon the U.S. Senate to Support Federal Funding for Earth and Space Science
In this short video message from AGU CEO/Executive Director Chris McEntee, she heralds the U.S. House of Representatives’ recent passage of a FY20 budget supporting federal Earth and space scientific agencies and calls upon the Senate Appropriations Committee to follow the House’s lead in order to ensure that the American scientific enterprise remains robust. For more information, please visit: actioncenter.agu.org
25 January 2019
ACTION NEEDED: Shutdown May Be Over, but Science Isn’t Secure Yet
After passage by both the House and the Senate, President Trump has signed into law a bill to temporarily reopen the federal government until 15 February. First, I am relieved to know this action means federal employees, including federal scientists, will receive their first paychecks in more than 30 days, and that they will receive the back pay they are owed. Unfortunately, the havoc this unprecedented shutdown has wreaked on …
2 December 2018
Presidential Citation Update
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 …
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, …
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 …
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 …
9 May 2017
Science Fares ‘OK’ in FY17 Omnibus; FY18 Remains Uncertain
As you may have heard, Congress recently passed a bipartisan omnibus spending bill (H.R. 244) to fund the federal government for the remainder of fiscal year 2017, which ends on 30 September 2017. Overall the bill provides relatively flat funding for the NSF, roughly two percent increases for NASA and USGS, and a nearly two percent decrease in funding for NOAA. Some programs saw more extensive increases, for example, NASA’s …
28 March 2017
AGU Responds to President Trump’s Roll Back of Clean Power Plan
I issued the following statement earlier today in response to President Donald Trump’s Executive Order to overhaul the Clean Power Plan: “The scientific consensus is clear; the climate is changing, humanity is the major influence, and some of the resulting impacts on society are likely to be severe. That’s why AGU’s climate science position statement, which doesn’t reference any specific climate policies, is nevertheless titled “Human‐Induced Climate Change Requires Urgent …
16 March 2017
White House Budget’s Proposed Cuts Jeopardize American Public Health, Safety, and Security
UPDATE: The numbers included below are in comparison to current funding levels, which are those that were passed in the most recent omnibus spending bill. The White House recently released its budget proposing the following cuts: 31% cut to EPA’s budget including a 20% reduction of EPA staff Up to a 15% cut to USGS 2% reduction to DOE’s budget including the elimination of the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy …
10 May 2016
UPDATE: AGU Board Votes to Continue Relationship with ExxonMobil
Late last Friday afternoon, we received a letter and supporting information from Senator Whitehouse (D-RI) and Congressman Lieu (D-Cal), asking the AGU Board to reconsider its recent decision to maintain a relationship with ExxonMobil. Earlier this year, I informed you about a letter AGU had received from a group of members and other scientists calling for us to sever our relationship with ExxonMobil (which has sponsored the student breakfast at the …
23 March 2015
What Does the Future Hold for Science In the Challenging American Political Environment?
As scientists, AGU members know how important their research is. Earth and space science satisfies society’s natural curiosity and desire to understand how the world around them works. It also provides real and tangible benefits that drive our economy, protect our communities, and improve our quality of life. All of us benefit, around the world and here in the U.S. The benefits of science aren’t limited to red states or …
6 January 2015
AGU Names Editor for New Journal, Earth and Space Science
I am delighted to announce that John Orcutt, a distinguished professor of Geophysics at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and former president and General Secretary of AGU, will serve as the inaugural editor of our newest open access journal, Earth and Space Science. Over the summer John will recruit the editorial team. The journal will be ready to accept papers in late summer 2014, and the first articles …
