Mourning the Passing of Robert E. Dickinson, AGU Past President and Distinguished Earth System Scientist

It is with profound sadness that we share the news that Professor Robert E. Dickinson passed away on 11 September 2026.  One of the most influential Earth system scientists of our time, Dr. Dickinson’s remarkable career spanned more than six decades, helping shape modern understanding of the climate system through pioneering contributions to atmospheric dynamics, … Read more

Presenting the Proposed Slate for AGU’s 2026 Elections

As chair of the AGU Leadership Development/Governance Committee, I am pleased to announce the proposed slate of candidates for the 2026 AGU Elections. In accordance with our bylaws, AGU elects new leaders every two years. This year’s slate showcases a diverse and exceptional group of leaders ready to guide AGU’s future and further our commitment … Read more

Devising a language of shared perspectives in a complicated global environment

AGU headquarters

By Dr. Jean Pierre Ometto,   International Secretary, AGU Board of Directors  On Thursday 16 April and Friday 17 April, the AGU Board of Directors gathered for its April meeting in Hoboken, New Jersey at the headquarters of our publishing partner, Wiley. The AGU Board meets with Wiley global leadership every other year to talk about the future of publishing and building our partnership.  I was given the assignment to record … Read more

Trump Administration’s FY27 President’s Budget Request Cannot Go Unanswered 

House of Reprs

Last Friday, President Trump released the fiscal year 2027 President’s Budget Request. What we are seeing is devastating, and it demands a forceful response.  As our policy team details on The Bridge, this budget is largely a repeat of last year’s proposal, but repetition does not soften the blow. NASA’s Science Mission Directorate is cut by nearly half its budget. The National Science Foundation is losing more than half. NOAA is down nearly 28%. The … Read more

Ignoring Science Weakens Court Decisions: Reinstate Climate Science in the Federal Judicial Center’s Reference Manual

AGU decries the recent removal of a chapter on climate science from the 2025 4th edition of the Federal Judicial Center’s Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, particularly at a moment when judges are likely to encounter increasingly complex and critical issues related to climate change.   The Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence is one of the judiciary’s most widely used resources for understanding complex scientific and technical issues. … Read more

AGU mourns the passing of Michael McElroy, distinguished planetary and atmospheric scientist

AGU logo 2023.

It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Dr. Michael McElroy, who died last month at the age of 86.  Dr. McElroy was a towering figure in the Earth and space sciences—a brilliant atmospheric scientist whose contributions fundamentally shaped our understanding of planetary atmospheres, climate science, and environmental policy. His career spanned more than … Read more

AGU Denounces Trump Administration’s Repeal of the EPA Endangerment Finding

In 1856, American scientist Eunice Foote made history by publishing the first academic paper demonstrating that carbon dioxide traps heat from the Sun, a discovery that laid the foundation for climate science. Over the next 170 years, researchers have tested and built on that insight with the rigor of the scientific method, publishing hundreds of thousands of peer-reviewed studies that have not only affirmed Foote’s original … Read more

The A-G-U Alphabet  

AGU headquarters

By Renetta Garrison Tull, Ph.D.   Wherever we grow up around the world with whatever native language, mastering our “ABCs” is foundational to how we learn, understand, and grow.  I guess that’s why I am drawn to this structure when surveying or analyzing large amounts of information. Reflecting on the broad range of our discussions at the AGU Board of Directors’ December meeting, it seemed we had covered everything from A-Z. So why not report out doing just that?   The Board started the day assessing the A-Team partnership qualities of volunteer leaders, members and staff that all brought an … Read more

AGU statement on U.S. withdrawal from climate and environmental organizations and treaties

AGU headquarters

The Trump Administration’s announcement that the United States will withdraw from a multitude of international organizations and treaties that support global cooperation on climate and environmental issues is a grievous setback at a moment when the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation are only accelerating and when scientific expertise and collaboration are indispensable to addressing them.   Some of these bodies and treaties form … Read more