FEATURES

22 Venturing to Venus
Scientists suspect that Earth and Venus formed from the same parent material 4.5 billion years ago. They know that the two planets are similar in size, makeup and distance from the sun. But what they don’t know is why Earth developed into a planet able to support life while Venus degenerated into a scorching wasteland. New missions should help scientists get to the bottom of this mystery.
Erin Wayman

28 Destination Moon
When we last set foot on the moon in 1972, no one imagined it would be more than three decades before we would return. Plans to return humans to the moon are under way — but will the moon be a stepping stone to Mars or a destination all its own?
Carolyn Gramling

34 Space Travels in Geology: Io: A Different Kind of Hell
With more than 400 erupting volcanoes, Jupiter's closest moon is the most geologically active body in our solar system. Despite all the hot lava, however, Io is deathly cold — not a site you would want to visit on your summer vacation.
Mary Caperton Morton

37 Rocks: Not Just for Jocks Anymore
When the College Board asked earth and environmental scientists to help rewrite its Advanced Placement Environmental Sciences curriculum, some geoscientists saw it as an opportunity to uplift geology's profile among students.
Cassandra Willyard

NEWS NOTES

7 News Shorts
8 Winter of Discontent
8 Did you know?
9 You are what you drink
10 Wasting energy by saving time?
11 Aftershocks of peace
12 China’s Olympic race for cleaner air
13 The Grand Canyon’s shifting sands
13 Colossal fossil frog found
14 Bacteria’s rainy role
15 Traveling light
16 Rhino fossil bridges land gap
16 Early human bipedalism confirmed
17 Lake Mead going dry
18 Gulf stream’s high heat
19 Staufen is sinking
20 Mineral resource of the month: mica

VIEWS

58 A POLITICAL COMMENT ON...
California’s Battle over Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards
Late last year, the Environmental Protection Agency denied a request by California to adopt its own emissions standards for new automobiles. California appealed, and now the battle is back in court.
Marcy Gallo

59 A COMMENT ON...
Resource Nationalization: A Smaller Piece of the Pie
Soaring energy prices and record-breaking profits have emboldened some countries to “reconsider” their relationships with foreign oil companies operating within their borders. It’s a short-term perspective.
Benjamin A. Eisterhold and Michael E. Webber

60 GEOLOGIC COLUMN
I’m Ending My Affair!
After several decades of a love affair with beautiful, large, gas-guzzling cars, it’s time to end the affair and get on board the efficiency wagon.
Fred Schwab

DEPARTMENTS

4 FROM THE EDITOR
5 LETTERS: Perspectives from readers
6 WHERE ON EARTH?

42 TRENDS & INNOVATIONS
A New Kind of Green Eggs and Ham
Do you know where your food comes from or how much carbon dioxide was produced from getting it to you? Tracking "food miles" has become the latest trend, but not everyone agrees the term is useful.
Cassandra Willyard

44 EDUCATION & OUTREACH
Feeling the Cosmos
NASA recently released the latest in a series of highly visual space books that are geared toward all students — those who can see and those who cannot. Braille and written text accompany textured images that students can both see and feel.
Cassandra Willyard

46 GEOMEDIA
Exhibits: Pictures from the Edge: Polar-Palooza’s Scientists Share Their Stories
Books: Talking Fossils with the Authors of Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway
Books: The Catskill Geologist Spins a Good Yarn

50 GEOMARKETPLACE

52 CLASSIFIEDS: Career opportunities

56 BENCHMARKS
May 18, 1910: Earth Passes Through the Tail of Halley’s Comet

57 DOWN TO EARTH WITH...
Geologist and oil executive Don Paul

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