17 October 2017
The Great ShakeOut: In the Wake of the Great Fire and Great Flood
By Ross S. Stein, President of the AGU Tectonophysics Section, CEO of Temblor.net, and Adjunct Professor of Geophysics, Stanford University Fire and Rain Over the past week, those of us living in northern California, and perhaps people throughout the arid western U.S., have watched in horror as fires continue to sweep through the wine country, taking lives and livelihoods. As we watch fires burn, we have been asking ourselves “Am …
9 October 2017
Earth Science and Human Activity: Taking Action to Avert Catastrophe
By Linda Rowan, AGU Societal Impacts and Policy Sciences (SIPS) Focus Group President, and Director of External Affairs, UNAVCO Inc. Earth science captures the public’s attention when a natural disaster strikes, when natural resources are needed or when Earth’s environment faces a threat. As the Earth science community prepares to celebrate Earth Science Week from 8-14 October 2017, with a theme of Earth Science and Human Activity, there has been …
3 October 2017
Reflections on World Space Week 2017
By Larry Paxton, AGU Space Physics and Aeronomy Section President and Head of Geospace and Earth Science Group at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory The human race is beginning to take its first tentative steps off the planet Earth. As we become a spacefaring civilization, we will not only explore space, but we will endeavor to use space, just as we use the resources of earth. We will, …
19 September 2017
World Ozone Day and the Success of the Montreal Protocol
By Joyce Penner, President, AGU Atmospheric Section; Ralph J. Cicerone Distinguished University Professor of Atmospheric Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
September 16, 2017 was the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. In fact, September 16, 2017 marked the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Montreal Protocol. The protocol was aimed at regulating the production and use of chemicals that contribute to the depletion of Earth’s ozone layer. It entered into force on January 1, 1989, and has demonstrated the ability of the world’s nations to come together to solve an …
15 September 2017
A Revised Ethics Policy: Setting the Bar High to End Harassment in the Sciences
By Eric Davidson, AGU President, Robin Bell, AGU President-elect, and Margaret Leinen, AGU Past President Science is strongest when a diverse set of voices are not only allowed, but encouraged, to share their perspectives and scientific ideas. Harassment and discrimination can negatively impact that diversity of voices and have no place in a research environment or workplace of any kind. They compromise open communication, create a hostile work climate, and in …
12 September 2017
Taking Radical Leaps in How We Train Early Career Scientists: A Cue from the 25-year Anniversary of Mae Jemison’s Space Journey
By Jasmine Crumsey, Ph.D., AGU Council Member, and Visiting Postdoctoral Scholar in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University. “The overwhelming challenges we need to face today can’t be solved through incrementalism . . . What actually holds us back? Why aren’t we doing bigger things? The first answer is people and the perception of who has the solution.” – Dr. Mae Jemison, TEDArchive Talk: Want Interstellar Travel? Build Interdisciplinary …
7 September 2017
Reflections On the 1900 Galveston Hurricane, Hurricane Harvey, and the Increase in Extreme Weather Events
By Ramesh P. Singh, Ph.D., AGU Natural Hazards Focus Group President, and Chapman University Professor of Earth System and Remote Sensing On 8 September 1900, the town of Galveston, Texas, close to Houston, was hit by a category 4 hurricane with strong winds of 135 miles per hour and storm surges up to 15 feet high. As a result, more than 10,000 people were killed and more than 3000 buildings …
5 September 2017
In the Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey
For days before it made landfall, the projections for Hurricane Harvey’s impact on Texas―and other parts of the Gulf Coast―were of devastation. Then, when the record-breaking storm arrived, our worst fears were realized as the region was inundated with 101-130 centimeters of rain, not to mention high winds and intense storm surge. Now, as we reflect on Hurricane Harvey, we do so acknowledging that other countries are suffering through catastrophic …
Reflections on Voyager’s 40th Anniversary and the Future of Space Exploration
By Christina Cohen, Ph.D., AGU Council Member, AGU Space Physics and Aeronomy Section President-elect, and Member of the Professional Staff at the California Institute of Technology On the 40th anniversary of the Voyager mission it is impossible not to marvel at how far a human-built machine (with less computing power than the typical smart phone) has traveled. Voyager is the quintessential explorer, going into unknown realms and dutifully transmitting its …
25 August 2017
Looking to the Past and Looking to the Future: Thoughts on Science and Women’s Equality Day
On 21 August, 2017, a solar eclipse swept across North America. Many AGU members were observing this wonder of our universe using everything from cutting-edge instruments to cardboard glasses ordered online. How different the faces studying the geophysics are now than they were in 1878 when Maria Mitchell of Vassar College was explicitly not invited to join the government supported expedition observing an eclipse. Refusing to miss the chance of …
From the Prow is a two-way conversation between AGU’s leaders and the broad Earth and space science community they serve. It features discussions on trends, Union programs and initiatives, and reflections on the strategic direction of the organization.