Earth Science Week 2020: Earth Materials in Our Lives October 11–17, 2020 Highlights Report Earth Materials in Our Lives EARTH SCIENCE WEEK www.earthsciweek.org Earth Science Week 2020: Earth Materials in Our Lives October 11–17, 2020 Highlights Report Copyright ©2021 by Contents American Geosciences Institute. 2 Highlights Report: Earth Science Week 2020 ISBN: __ 2 Introduction 4 Summary of Activities American Geosciences Institute 4220 King Street 4 Key Partnerships and Efforts Alexandria, VA 22302 U.S.A. 10 Earth Science Week Toolkits www.americangeosciences.org 11 Web Resources 703-379-2480 13 Newsletter If you have comments concerning this report, please contact: 13 Contests Ed Robeck, Ph.D. 15 Earth Science Teaching Award Director of Education and Outreach 15 Focus Days American Geosciences Institute 16 AGI Promotions 703-379-2480 x245 [email protected] 17 State Proclamations 17 Publicity and Media Coverage 19 Earth Science Week Sponsors See Our News Coverage 19 Global Sponsors Because of the large and increasing number of news clip- 19 Earth Science Week Program Partners pings citing Earth Science Week activities and resources, the 20 Earth Science Week 2020 Events and Activities by print edition of the print report no longer includes clippings. State and Territory To view the hundreds of press releases and news items pro- 32 International Events moting awareness of Earth Science Week each year, please visit online at www.earthsciweek.org/highlights. Thank you for helping us in our efforts to conserve resources and protect the environment. Published and printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, record- ing, or any information storage and retrieval system without the expressed written consent of the publisher. Front cover: 2020 ESW poster design: AGI/Brenna Tobler. Earth Science Week 2020: Highlights Report 1 American Geosciences Institute Highlights Report: Earth Science Week 2020 The 2020 Earth Science Week Photography Contest winning entry by Alex Xu Introduction eld October 11–17, 2020, the 23rd annual Earth Science Week celebrated the theme of “Earth Materials in Our Lives.” The 2020 event focused on the ways that Earth materials Himpact humans — and the ways human activity impacts these materials — in the 21st century. The Earth system includes rock, fluid, gaseous, and mineral materials that individuals and societies use to live and thrive. The availability of raw materials such as metals, aggregates, and fossil fuels influences and is influenced by human activities such as manufacturing, industry, transportation, food production, energy generation, and product recycling. American Geosciences Institute 2 Earth Science Week 2020: Highlights Report AGI organizes Earth Science Week as a service to Earth Science Week events, which normally include member societies, with generous help from partners educators teaching Earth science activities in their that provide funding, donate materials, organize classrooms and public outreach events in settings events, and publicize the event. Funding partners in like parks, museums, and science centers, were more 2020 included: concentrated online this year, due to the pandemic. • U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); Still, participants were active in 2020. A detailed list of • National Park Service; events can be found in the second half of this report. • National Aeronautics and Space This list represents only events reported directly to Administration (NASA); and discovered by AGI, so please notify Earth Science • American Geophysical Union (AGU); Week staff if your participation is not listed. • Geothermal Resources Council; • IF/THEN® (Lyda Hill Philanthropies); Events also are highlighted on the Earth Science Week • Society for Mining, Metallurgy and website (www.earthsciweek.org/highlights), which Exploration (SME); features press releases and other items by members • Society of Exploration Geophysicists; of the geoscience community, as well as news media • AmericaView; promoting Earth Science Week. Television and radio • Geological Society of America (GSA); news programs covered Earth Science Week on local • Consumer Energy Alliance; stations in several states. Each year, Earth Science • Water Footprint Calculator (Grace Week media in web, print, and broadcast media Communications Foundation); coverage, along with direct outreach by AGI, reach • American Meteorological Society; and thousands of people through hundreds of organiza- • CLEAN (Climate Literacy and Energy tions in the U.S. and more than 20 countries. Awareness Network). This report is designed to give an overview of the In addition, Earth Science Week 2020 welcomed four activities organized by AGI and other groups for Earth The 2020 Earth Science Week Photography Contest winning entry by Alex Xu Global Sponsors: Science Week. We hope this information on 2020 events • American Association of Petroleum Geologists and publicity inspires you to develop your own activi- (AAPG) Foundation; ties next year. Please visit www.earthsciweek.org for • ExxonMobil; event planning, materials, resources, and support. Con- • International Raw Materials Observatory; and tact Earth Science Week staff at [email protected] • Newmont Corporation. for assistance in planning for Earth Science Week. eld October 11–17, 2020, the 23rd annual Earth Science Week celebrated the theme of Despite challenges arising from the global pandemic Because of the large number of news clippings citing “Earth Materials in Our Lives.” The 2020 event focused on the ways that Earth materials of 2020, Earth Science Week participation remained Earth Science Week activities and resources, the print strong. People in all 50 states and 28 countries par- edition of this report does not include such clips. To impact humans — and the ways human activity impacts these materials — in the 21st century. H ticipated in events and activities. The Earth Science view the hundreds of press releases and news items The Earth system includes rock, fluid, gaseous, and mineral materials that individuals and societies use Week website received more than 494,000 page views promoting awareness of Earth Science Week each to live and thrive. The availability of raw materials such as metals, aggregates, and fossil fuels influences in 2020. In addition, 123 people across the country year, please visit online at www.earthsciweek.org/ and around the globe actively participated in the highlights. Thank you for helping us in our efforts and is influenced by human activities such as manufacturing, industry, transportation, food production, program’s visual arts, video, essay, and photogra- to build geoscience awareness, conserve resources, energy generation, and product recycling. phy contests. and protect the environment. Earth Science Week 2020: Highlights Report 3 American Geosciences Institute Summary of Activities Ella Giguere’s finalist entry for the 2020 ESW Photography Contest Key Partnerships and Efforts Earth Science Week’s success depends on the collabora- educator kit included an AGU poster celebrating the tion of key partners. In 2020, AGI pursued signature 50th anniversary of Earth Day and showing geoscien- initiatives and forged partnerships with numerous tists’ contributions to environmental stewardship. Earth organizations (listed alphabetically): Science Week’s 2020 activity calendar featured AGU’s “Soil, Sand, and Gravel” classroom activity. AGU’s Educators seeking teaching resources and other sup- annual meetings, professional development workshops, port were directed by AGI to the American Associa- programs for college students, print and electronic tion of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and the AAPG resources, and GIFT workshops were promoted through Foundation, both longtime supporters of Earth Science the Earth Science Week e-newsletter, website, and activ- Week. In addition, Earth Science Week promoted ity calendar. awareness of AAPG’s Distinguished Lecturer and Teacher of the Year programs. AAPG student chapters Earth Science Week 2020 promoted awareness of the received kits. Earth Science Week participants learned American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG), about AAPG’s Distinguished Lecture Series. Program an AGI member society that advocates for geologists participants were encouraged to participate in AAPG’s and certifies their credentials. AIPG offers several Pow- Annual Convention and Exhibition. AAPG’s “Model- erPoint presentations online for free download, present- ing an Oil Reserve” activity was featured in the Earth ing career information for young, newly graduated Science Week 2020 activity calendar. Subscribers to geoscientists. AIPG also provided a geologic-timescale AAPG Explorer received copies of the Earth Science bookmark for the educator kit. Week 2020 poster in the magazine. The AAPG Founda- tion supported a range of Earth Science Week 2020 as The American Meteorological Society (AMS) promoted a Global Sponsor. two teacher professional development programs focus- ing on the atmosphere and oceans. Project Atmosphere The American Geophysical Union (AGU) continued offered comprehensive teacher professional develop- its role as a supporting program partner in 2020 with ment program based on studies in the atmospheric the contribution of funds as well as expertise. The sciences. Project Ocean provided teacher professional American Geosciences Institute 4 Earth Science Week 2020: Highlights Report