The Native American Energy Act passed House of Representatives

The Native American Energy Act (H.R. 538) passed the House of Representatives on October 8, 2015.

President signs the STEM Education Act of 2015 into law

On October 8, 2015 President Obama signed into law the STEM Education Act of 2015 (H.R. 1020).

Congressman Honda introduces Earth Science Week Resolution

Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA) introduced a resolution designating October 11-17, 2015 as Earth Science Week.

Informing the public of the science behind natural hazards

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Geosciences, NBC Learn, and the Weather Channel released a 10-part video series that delves into the science behind natural disasters.

2015-2016 AGI Fisher Fellow Gifford Wong

The 2015-2016 William L. Fisher Congressional Geoscience Fellow is Gifford Wong. He will receive his Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from Dartmouth College. He earned his Honors in Antarctic Studies from the University of Tasmania at Hobart, and his Bachelor’s degree in Asian American Studies from the University of California at Berkeley. His doctoral dissertation is focused on the chemistry of snow and ice in northwest Greenland and, in particular, examines how changes in temperature and atmospheric circulation are related to trends in annual precipitation. He has done fieldwork in Greenland and Antarctica, co-developed and co-instructed a graduate-level science communication course at Dartmouth, and is currently collaborating with the International Glaciological Society to organize a communication skills workshop to coincide with their 2016 summer symposium.

Federal Register - September 2015

A list of notices from the federal register for September 2015 from agencies including the Department of the Interior, USGS, NOAA, NASA, and more.

DOE releases 2015 Quadrennial Technology Review

The Department of Energy (DOE) released their second Quadrennial Technology Review (QTR 2015) this September.

House Energy and Commerce Committee approves legislation to undo crude oil export ban

On September 17, The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved legislation amending the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (P.L. 94-163) to repeal the restriction on exporting crude oil in the United States.

NASA Orbiter may reveal liquid water on Mars

In a recent mission, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) used an imaging spectrometer to detect chemical signatures of hydrated salts concentrated in dark streaks along slopes on Mars’s surface.

Hearing Oct 20 to consider the nomination of Dr. Suzette Kimball to be Director of the USGS

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee announced that it will hold a hearing on October 20 to consider the nomination of Dr. Suzette Kimball to be Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

American Geosciences Institute

2015