Boy, how life can change in two weeks! Let’s review: Then: I was
living in the mountains of Colorado enjoying the peaceful sunshine and the cool
dry air. Now: I live four blocks from the Capitol building amidst the
sirens of Washington, D.C., eagerly awaiting the opportunities and activities
that this upcoming year as a congressional fellow will provide me. Then:
I was a volcanologist afforded the time to ponder how the intricacies of my
experimental work related to my field observations for publication in a 15-page
paper. Now: I am “that guy” who studied volcanoes and who is
expected to produce a one-page memo (maximum) in an hour on a subject with which
I am only vaguely familiar.
And believe it or not, life can change quickly on Capitol Hill. Then:
The Iraq war was the lead story and the buzz around Capitol Hill. Stem cell
research was the hot scientific issue, and the issue of morality versus science
was at the forefront of debate. Now: Hurricane Katrina. The devastation
in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast wiped the legislative schedule clean.
Then: The passing of a bill through the House and Senate could be measured
in geologic time. Now: The 109th session of the U.S. Congress started
early and some $63 billion in emergency appropriations were signed into law
in approximately three hours.
| The tragedies in the Gulf Coast exposed to the world an issue that has been of concern for years — the lack of a comprehensive plan to reduce U.S. dependence on nonrenewable resources, including oil. |
That’s right — an earth science issue is currently dominating the
legislative agenda and is expected to be at the forefront for the remainder
of this legislative year! So I ask myself, “What can I do? How can I, as
a scientist, make the biggest impact on the legislative process?”
For starters, curiosity can go a long way. My love for geology started my freshman
year at the University of Colorado at Boulder. It was hard not to like the discipline
after taking afternoon field trips through some 2 billion years of stratigraphy.
After years of classes and field excursions, I had no doubt that I would study
volcanology in graduate school. So I was off to the University of Hawaii to
study Kilauea volcano. I was not disappointed, becoming addicted the first time
I saw an active lava flow. After two years of watching monotonous, yet fascinating,
outpourings of black rock, I decided to move on to, as one of my professors
said, “white rocks that go bang.” I went north to the University of
British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, where I fabricated pyroclastic rocks
in the laboratory and deformed them at varying pressures and temperatures for
my Ph.D. work.
So how does a volcanologist become interested in science and public policy?
During my graduate studies, I was extremely fortunate to visit national labs
or attend universities in Germany, France, Canada and the United States. At
all of the institutions, I met great people and had thought-provoking discussions
about a range of matters, including the role of the government in science and
science in the government.
The federal government is often thought of as this massive engine of bureaucracy,
but as I have already learned in my two-week Capitol Hill orientation for my
congressional fellowship, it is actually relatively small. The lawmakers rely
on the help of various outside groups and also heavily on their constituents.
The aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita presents the United States with
the highest oil and natural gas prices in history and a rebuilding project unprecedented
in scope and geotechnical complexity, and I am one of the fellows who gets to
represent the scientific community. That, to me at least, is a daunting task.
But I am not alone. All earth scientists and people who are interested in science-based
policy have a chance to make a real difference.
The United States is at a crossroads concerning energy resources. The tragedies
in the Gulf Coast exposed to the world an issue that has been of concern for
years — the lack of a comprehensive plan to reduce U.S. dependence on nonrenewable
resources, including oil. A major shift in priorities and lifestyle is needed
for the United States to continue to prosper at the levels to which it has become
accustomed.
Due to cheap oil and gasoline prices, the U.S. economy and way of life have
grown with no concept of conservation. For example, people commute to work daily
for tens to hundreds of miles in single-occupancy vehicles. We go to the grocery
store and find grapes shipped from Chile and apples from New Zealand. Starting
now, we are going to pay the price for creating a society that has ignored the
future of our resources. For us to have any chance to continue at our current
level of comfort, revolutionary new technologies are needed to improve fuel
economy, harness natural and renewable forms of power, and even to invent new
forms of energy production. Therefore science has to play a key role in public
policy.
After two weeks of interviews discussing upcoming legislative issues, I have
decided to take a position in the office of Rep. Tom Udall (D-N.M.). In this
position, I will have the opportunity to work on issues related to our dependence
on oil, and to creating new and alternative forms of energy, while preserving
the natural beauty of our landscape.
I am looking forward to working with the earth science community in representing
some of the nation’s most pressing issues. And I will keep you abreast
of my progress as I wade into the world of public policy.
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