The Bridge: Connecting Science and Policy

August 26, 2014

Two Peas in a Pod

Being a good researcher, scientist and/or engineer is more than the number of grants, publications and conference presentations you have given. Take your research to the next level. Bring it to your community, your neighborhood, and your legislators. Engaging others in your research and engaging in the policies that impact your research can be just as important as our models, lab, and field work. So here is a list of key things I will be taking away from my internship this summer and why I’m committed to being a scientist who is actively engaged in policy.

August 11, 2014

Will Oysters Share the Same Fate as the Wicked Witch of the West?

Oceans. You don’t have to live on the East or West coasts to understand and appreciate the appeal of the oceans. From long walks on the beach to collecting seashells, images of the oceans proliferate our media, romantic literary epics, and vacation planning. However, that is all changing as our oceans increase in acidity. To put it simply, like the wicked witch of west, invertebrates like oysters, mussels, and other shelled creatures are “melting”

August 7, 2014

Dysfunction Junction (Part 2)

Several weeks ago I wrote a piece on the background of the U.S. congressional appropriations process, outlining the procedure through which the Federal government is funded. Progress to Date: The Senate has begun work on several appropriations bills, but as of today none have been passed by the full Senate. The Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) appropriations bill which funds NASA, NIST, NOAA, NSF, and the White House’s Office of Science and Technology was passed by the full Appropriations committee in June with broad bipartisan support, and appeared destined for the president’s desk.

August 5, 2014

How Nuclear Waste Disposal Can Help Us Understand Debate Over Fracking

Remember when shale gas was the answer to our energy woes? It was touted as a cheap and plentiful energy source that would reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Industry experts promised jobs, depressed local economies looked to get boosts; with so much good to be had, extracting natural gas from shale looked to be a no-brainer.

July 17, 2014

Come One Come All

The Public Affairs team at AGU is hosting a webinar 17 July 2014 titled ‘How to Have a Successful District Visit’ from 1:00-2:00 EDT today! Join us for an interactive lesson on science communication.

July 3, 2014

Won’t you be my reader?

WASHINGTON, DC – If you’ve read any of the recent blog posts, you’ll recognize a name change in the blogger. My name is Fushcia Hoover (the flower not the color) and I’m excited to report that I will be your friendly provider of cool and important science policy information this summer as the intern for AGU’s Public Affairs team. I started 7 June, but with busy preparations for SPC, I haven’t had a chance to formally introduce myself to you readers. I hail from the great state of Minnesota originally but am working on my PhD at Purdue University in Indiana. I’ll be going into my second year for my PhD, but my fourth year at Purdue, having completed my master’s there last August.

June 30, 2014

Under Water: Weathering the Colorado Floods

Boulder, Colorado learned a lot about its flood management practices during last September’s historic floods. But the deluge also helped the city learn about the value of less scientific measures, like public art and a good hug, said a top public works administrator at last week’s AGU Science Policy Conference, 16-18 June, 2014.