<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><span style="color: rgb(64, 127, 0); font-weight: bold;"></span><br><blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"><div id="yiv918360394">
<font face="arial"><b>The Earth Science Literacy Draft Document</b> is
open for community comment<br><br>
The NSF-supported Earth Science Literacy Initiative has prepared a draft
document outlining what every citizen should know about earth science,
and we are seeking community input on the draft. We hope that you will
take the time to provide your input, because this document will provide a
clear and concise summary of the fundamental ideas in earth science for
policy makers, educators, students, and the general public.<br><br>
In order to read and comment on the draft, please go to
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.earthscienceliteracy.org/"><b>
www.earthscienceliteracy.org</b></a><b></b> before <b>October 31st, 2008</b>. We
will then incorporate community comments, add graphics, and release a
revised draft by early December. The final document will be printed
toward the end of January.<br><br>
This document complements the efforts of the Ocean, Climate and
Atmospheric science communities in defining the big ideas and supporting
concepts essential for an earth system literate public. The Earth
Sciences draft was developed through an NSF-supported, 350-participant
online workshop held in May, 2008 and a 35-participant, in-person writing
workshop held in July, 2008. These workshops brought together
scientists from a broad representation of the geosciences, including
mineralogists, petrologists, resource explorationists, sedimentologists
and stratigraphers, paleontologists, tectonicists, geophysicists,
geomorphologists, low-temperature geochemists and biogeochemists,
continental dynamicists, volcanologists, geohazard specialists, and
members of the freshwater hydrologic science community.<br><br>
This is a critical time for our science – the geosciences can play a
critical role in helping society meet the challenges of natural hazards
and human impacts on the environment. Please help us make this
document the best it can be!<br><br>
<b>***Special Announcement: GSA Town Hall Meeting***<br>
</b>There will be a Town Hall meeting at the GSA Meeting on The Earth
Science Literacy Initiative. The meeting will be at noon on Monday,
October 6, in Room 342AD of the George R. Brown Convention Center. All
are welcome to hear of the progress of the ESLI project and offer
commentary.<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
</font><p>
</p><pre><font face="Arial Baltic, Helvetica">Robert M. Ross<br>Associate Director for Outreach<br><br>Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth<br>1259 Trumansburg Rd.<br>Ithaca, NY 14850<br><br>P: 607.273.6623 x18<br>F: 607.273.6620<br><br><br><br></font></pre></div></blockquote></td></tr></table>