“As AGI’s Executive Director, I truly value and respect the diverse array of skills and opinions within the geoscience community. All of us are united in our commitment to the geosciences and we understand the vital contributions that the geosciences make to society. As geoscientists we are in a unique position to provide accurate science-based information to policy makers about the Earth, its natural resources and hazards, and interactions between people and the natural environment. It is vitally important that our science thrives and our voices are heard.

 

For the past 25 years, AGI, through its Geoscience Policy program, has facilitated communication between geoscientists and federal policy makers in Congress and the Administration. We work, often in close collaboration with broader coalitions and groups, to promote policies that support geoscience education and research, and to expand the appropriate use of accurate geoscience information in decision making. We strive to be a respected, nonpartisan source of information that reflects the breadth and depth of the geosciences, and to broker open, respectful communication between different sectors of the geoscience community, and between geoscientists, decision makers, and the public, regardless of political or other affiliations.

 

The upcoming March for Science, which will take place in about 400 locations around the globe on Earth Day, April 22, has generated a range of responses from the geoscience community. As an organization founded to represent this community, AGI is not taking a position on the March. Many of our member societies have made their own decisions on this: I value the thought that they have put into their decisions, and I understand and respect the choices that they have made.

 

I encourage everyone to review the Principles and Goals of the March and to decide if you wish to participate. While we will not be officially endorsing the March for Science, we are providing information on the March events for AGI member organizations, should any of you decide to participate. You may also want to consider year-round opportunities to engage with policy makers and the public to raise awareness of the importance of science, and geoscience in particular. You can find information on some of these opportunities from AGI’s Geoscience Policy & Critical Issues and Earth Science Week programs, and from many of our member societies.”