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New and Revised
Position Statements
GSA Council approved a new position statement, Geoscience public to work together to reduce our vulnerability to natural
and Energy Policy, at its October 2017 meeting. Council also hazards. GSA strongly endorses greater integration of geosci-
approved minor revisions to four position statements: Data ence into prevention and mitigation programs, policies, and
Access, Geoscience Data Preservation, Improving Natural practices through:
Hazards Policies through Geoscience, and Visas for Foreign
Scientists and Students. Full versions of these and other position • Government investment in research, monitoring, and outreach
statements are available at www.geosociety.org/ programs to better characterize the nature and distribution of
PositionStatements. natural hazards and their impacts on modern society;
Geosciences and Energy Policy • Increased focus on geohazards literacy in natural hazards
awareness campaigns;
Development of a comprehensive energy policy that signifi-
cantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions is essential for the • Enlisting the resources of the private sector in hazards and
future economic vitality, environmental well-being, and health disaster risk-reduction strategies;
and security of the citizens of the United States as well as other
nations. Geoscientists locate, quantify, and help develop energy • Effective communication and implementation of geoscience
resources, and, along with professionals in other disciplines, research and monitoring results into functional public policy
assess and mitigate the impact of energy-resource development, and private sector decision-making for mutual benefit; and
operations, and use on the environment. Accordingly, input from
geoscientists must be an integral part of all energy policy • Incorporation of geoscience into scientifically sound educa-
deliberations. tional programs at all levels.
Data Access Visas for Foreign Scientists and Students
GSA strongly supports open access to scientific data to pro- GSA endorses a United States visa system that supports inter-
mote advancement in research, support education, and improve national scientific exchange and cooperation. Government visa
the economic progress, health, and welfare of society. policy is especially important to the earth sciences as earth sci-
ence is inherently an international endeavor because it is not
Geoscience Data Preservation possible to understand Earth by studying only those parts of the
planet that fall within the boundaries of a single country.
GSA supports the preservation of geoscience samples and Progress in earth science requires international field research,
data sets for the public good and urges public and private sector participation in international conferences, access to international
organizations and individuals to routinely catalog and preserve research facilities, and other activities that involve international
their collections and make them widely accessible. exchange and cooperation. Delays in issuing visas to earth scien-
tists responding to natural disasters—such as earthquakes, tsu-
Improving Natural Hazards Policies through Geoscience namis, volcanic eruptions, and floods—can result in loss of life,
loss of property, and loss of scientific opportunities. Earth scien-
Natural hazards are the results of Earth processes, which in tists can help prevent some natural hazards from becoming natu-
some circumstances are exacerbated by human activity. ral disasters through international exchange and collaboration.
Reducing the vulnerability of human populations, the built envi-
ronment, and ecosystems to disastrous consequences from natu-
ral hazards is a social responsibility and an achievable policy
imperative. Policy makers should address vulnerability to haz-
ard impacts through promotion and adoption of effective strate-
gies for risk reduction and resilience. Public policies that rely on
geoscience are needed to investigate the causes of natural haz-
ards, avoid those that are preventable, and limit the negative
effects of hazards on public health, safety, and the environment.
GSA urges scientists, policy makers, risk managers, and the
48 GSA Today | January 2018
