A resolution congratulating the American Geophysical Union on the occasion of its centennial.

III 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. RES. 460 Congratulating the American Geophysical Union on the occasion of its centennial. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES DECEMBER 19, 2019 Mr. CARDIN (for himself and Ms. MURKOWSKI) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Congratulating the American Geophysical Union on the occasion of its centennial. Whereas, in December 1919, the National Research Council organized the American Geophysical Union— (1) to represent the United States in the Inter- national Union of Geodesy and Geophysics of the Inter- national Research Council; and (2) to serve as the Committee on Geophysics of the National Research Council to promote work in the fields of astronomy, geodesy, geology, meteorology, seismology, terrestrial electricity and magnetism, and volcanology; Whereas, in 1972, the American Geophysical Union was in- corporated as an independent organization; Whereas, in 2019, the American Geophysical Union has more than 60,000 members in 137 countries; VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:15 Dec 20, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR460.ATS SR460 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •SRES 460 ATS Whereas the mission of the American Geophysical Union is to promote discovery in Earth and space sciences for the benefit of humanity; Whereas Earth and space sciences are international endeav- ors that transform human understanding of the planet, from the core through the atmosphere of the planet and into the universe beyond; Whereas Earth and space sciences drive basic and applied re- search that has led to critical health, environmental, com- mercial, and technological breakthroughs that have in- spired individuals throughout the world, strengthened economies, and raised standards of living; Whereas Earth and space sciences help individuals— (1) understand and formulate solutions for the crit- ical challenges facing the planet; (2) become better stewards of natural resources, such as energy, water, and minerals, for current and fu- ture generations; and (3) comprehend and mitigate the effects of terres- trial, manmade, and space disasters, which protects com- munities worldwide; Whereas Earth and space sciences are critical components of a science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (in this preamble referred to as ‘‘STEAM’’) education and inspire students of all ages to become citizen sci- entists and future leaders in STEAM fields; Whereas Earth and space sciences seek to discover the ori- gins of humanity, the planet, and the universe, and are a source of awe for past, current, and future generations; and VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:15 Dec 20, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR460.ATS SR460 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •SRES 460 ATS Whereas December 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the American Geophysical Union: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate— 1 (1) congratulates the American Geophysical 2 Union on the occasion of its centennial; 3 (2) supports increasing the understanding of 4 and interest in Earth and space sciences at the local, 5 national, and international levels; 6 (3) encourages the scientific community to en- 7 gage in public outreach so that individuals of all 8 ages and backgrounds gain a better understanding 9 of and appreciation for the value of Earth and space 10 sciences to daily life and quality of life; 11 (4) expresses support for the free and open ex- 12 change of ideas in Earth and space sciences; 13 (5) recognizes the important role of govern- 14 ments in fostering Earth and space scientific re- 15 search, including contributing to higher-risk and 16 longer-term investigations and providing funding for 17 the basic and applied research necessary for human 18 welfare; 19 (6) encourages international cooperation in ef- 20 forts relating to Earth and space sciences to foster 21 the global exchange of knowledge and collaboration 22 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:15 Dec 20, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR460.ATS SR460 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •SRES 460 ATS among scientists worldwide for the benefit of hu- 1 manity; and 2 (7) respectfully requests that the Secretary of 3 the Senate transmit an enrolled copy of this resolu- 4 tion to the executive director and chief executive of- 5 ficer of the American Geophysical Union. 6 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:15 Dec 20, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR460.ATS SR460 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS