The Resources for Future Generations 2018 Program Schedule has been released and it boasts an impressive line-up of speakers covering an engaging and provocative number of panels, debates, thematic keynotes, and public lectures.
Resources for Future Generations 2018 is a collaborative, ambitious event that seeks to highlight business, science, and policy. The event will bring together attendees from industry, government, and academia as well as Indigenous peoples, and local communities to discuss some of the most pressing challenges concerning resources and related sustainability issues. The conference will cover many aspects of earth science that underpin our understanding of resources, focused sessions on critical aspects of energy, minerals and water, and a broad program covering societal, policy, Indigenous, community and educational topics.
Following the release of a USGS report on 23 mineral commodities that are critical for the U.S. economy and security, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reduce America's dependence on foreign sources of critical minerals. Shortly after the executive order, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke released a secretarial order on December 21 directing the initial steps to producing a nationwide geological and topographical survey of the U.S.
On December 12, the House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing, “Examining Consequences of America’s Growing Dependence on Foreign Minerals,” to discuss reasons for the declining self-sufficiency of the United States for mineral commodities, and the consequences of relying on foreign sources for critical minerals.
The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a legislative hearing on December 14 to consider the Grand Staircase Escalante Enhancement Act, introduced by Representative Chris Stewart (R-UT-2) to create Utah’s sixth national park - the Escalante Canyons National Park and Preserve.
Resources for Future Generations (RFG2018) will be a global forum to explore the future of natural resources and the interplay among Earth, Energy, Minerals and Water — as well discussions on nontechnical themes such as Resources & Society and Education & Knowledge.
The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a hearing on November 30 to discuss a draft bill to promote timely geothermal energy exploration under federal leases, and three other bills related to geologic mapping and hazards research, monitoring, and response.
On October 11, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources met to review a draft of the Accessing Strategic Resources Offshore (ASTRO) Act. Modeled after the successful revenue sharing scheme GOMESA, the ASTRO Act seeks to improve access to oil and gas resources and to provide more reliability in the federal management of OCS exploration and development.
The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources discussed three bills introduced before the August recess. Two of these bills seek to amend to the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, while the third bill proposes a new method for state onshore oil and gas leasing on federal lands.
