Virtual Forum Presentation
August 16, 2000 -- 12:00 Noon Eastern Time

How Can You Support the Natural Hazards Caucus?

with

Peter Folger

Public Affairs Manager
American Geophysical Union

and

David Applegate
Director of Government Affairs
American Geological Institute


Contents:

Summary
On-line Transcript
Download Transcript (MS Word File)
Slides: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

About Peter Folger
About David Applegate
About the AGU and the AGI

Natural Hazards Caucus Website
Natural Hazards Caucus Working Group Website


SUMMARY

EIIP Virtual Forum Presentation
Wednesday - August 16, 2000 - 12:00 Noon EDT

How Can You Support the Natural Hazards Caucus?

Peter Folger
Public Affairs Manager
American Geophysical Union

David Applegate
Director of Government Affairs
American Geological Institute

Avagene Moore - Moderator
EIIP Coordinator

The August 16 EIIP Virtual Forum featured a discussion about the new Congressional Natural Hazards Caucus with an emphasis on how to be involved and encourage support and growth of the caucus. Speakers were Peter Folger, Public Affairs Manager for the American Geophysical Union, and David Applegate, Director of Government Affairs at the American Geological Institute.

Peter opened the discussion of the Congressional Natural Hazards Caucus with a brief overview of what caucuses are, what they do (or don't do), how they can be effective, and how the Natural Hazards Caucus fits in.

David explained that the primary goal of establishing a congressional natural hazards caucus is to develop a wider understanding within Congress that reducing the risks and costs of natural disasters is a public value. Slides were used to list members of the caucus and the working group involved currently. Emphasis was placed on grass roots involvement to get more Senators as well as members of the House involved in the caucus to make it as strong as possible.


PETER FOLGER
Public Affairs Manager
American Geophysical Union


Peter Folger is Public Affairs Manager for the American Geophysical Union, an international scientific society of Earth and space scientists with over 38,000 members headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Folger obtained a degree in Earth science from Dartmouth College in 1982 and a Master's degree from the University of Montana. Upon graduating, he was selected as the Geological Society of America's 10th Congressional Science Fellow and worked for 13 months in the office of Senator Pete V. Domenici (R-NM).

In his current position, Folger keeps AGU members informed of events on Capitol Hill that impact the geophysical sciences, and members of Congress informed of geophysical events that impact their constituents.

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DAVID APPLEGATE
Director of Government Affairs
American Geological Institute


David Applegate is Director of Government Affairs at the American Geological Institute and Editor of Geotimes, the newsmagazine of the earth sciences. Before coming to AGI in 1995, he served with the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources as the American Geophysical Union's Congressional Science Fellow and as a professional staff member for the minority.

Applegate writes a monthly "Political Scene" column in Geotimes and has written numerous journal articles, book chapters, and magazine articles on both geology and public policy. He also teaches in the Environmental Sciences and Policy master's program at The Johns Hopkins University.

Born and raised in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, he holds a B.S. in geology from Yale University and a Ph.D. in geology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION

AGU is an international scientific society with more than 38,000 members, primarily research scientists, dedicated to advancing the understanding of the Earth and our solar system and making the results of our research available to the public. AGU members conduct scientific research over a wide range of subjects from ground water to interplanetary space. This research provides critical information about natural hazards, Earth's climate and its record of past climate change, and other natural processes that directly affect quality of life, prosperity, and economic development. AGU sponsors several scientific meetings each year that include sessions on how AGU research relates to public policy. AGU publishes numerous scientific journals, books and a weekly newspaper, EOS, that includes news on current research, legislative and policy developments, and opinion articles.

http://www.agu.org/

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AMERICAN GEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE

AGI is a nonprofit federation of 35 geoscientific and professional associations that represent more than 100,000 geologists, geophysicists, and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in
our profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in mankind's use of resources and interaction with the environment.

http://www.agiweb.org

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