Kristin Morell

There are some truly awesome old growth forests

Our department was one of the first to participate in the program. We recently received an email from AGU that the program is ‘sunsetting’.

2 bits of data from new Economist/YouGov poll.....

13% support for cutting research funding to universities. 24% among Republicans. Polling on this continues to be catastrophic for the Rs, suggests Dems should be learning far harder into standing up for science and our universities. 1/

My job is sometimes just so tough…. #fieldwork #geologyrocks #santacruzislandCA

EPA To Drop 'E,' 'P' From Name

EPA To Drop 'E,' 'P' From Name
theonion.com/epa-to-...

I’m so sorry. How infuriating.

"We are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our parents, Melissa and Mark. They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can't believe they are gone. Their love for us was boundless. We miss them so much. "We want everyone to know that we are both safe and with loved ones. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received, and we appreciate your respect for our family's privacy as we grieve. "Our family would like to thank law enforcement for their swift action that saved others and for the coordination across communities that led to the arrest of the man who murdered our parents. We especially would like to thank the officers who were first on the scene to our parents' home and their heroic attempts to rescue our mom and dad. "Our parents touched so many lives, and they leave behind an incredible legacy of dedication to their community that will live on in us, their friends, their colleagues and co-workers, and every single person who knew and loved them. "If you would like to honor the memory of Mark and Melissa, please consider the following: • Plant a tree. • Visit a local park and make use of their amenities, especially a bike trail. • Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do. • Tell your loved ones a cheesy dad joke and laugh about it. • Bake something — bread for Mark or a cake for Melissa, and share it with someone. • Try a new hobby and enjoy learning something. • Stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace. "Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear. Our parents lived their lives with immense dedication to their fellow humans. This tragedy must become a moment for us to come together. Hold your loved ones a little closer. Love your neighbors. Treat each other with kindness and respect. The best way to honor our parents' memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else."

Please read and share this statement from Sophie and Colin Hortman, children of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark.

(via WCCO reporter Caroline Cummings on X)

Science Magazine gets it wrong. 🧵

I’m so sorry

A nice part of Earth (in Canada). A flattish (glacially eroded) small island of granite sits on a still lake reflecting a blue sky dotted with clouds. Two people stand at either end, fishing.

It’s Earth Day, and some of us have spent not just our careers but our whole lives loving + studying the Earth. It is not an easy time. But I hope you take a moment today to look at something beautiful, eat something delicious, squish someone you love, pet a dog, remember the nice parts. Yay Earth.

I rarely do this, but please consider donating to The Planetary Society's advocacy program at planetary.org/takeaction

We are an independent nonprofit. We don't have big industry funds or government grants (a bonus, these days!) All we have are our members and donors to enable our work.

NOAA just announced a long list of datasets that are going away🧪⚒️🌊: www.nesdis.noaa.gov/about/docume...
Download what you need asap and send comments to: ncei.info@noaa.gov

And what about longitudes >180 deg!

That may be so. However, for the first time in a long while you had some leverage. But you gave all of it away and got nothing in return.

This makes me happy!!

The analog for NSF tells a slightly different story:

Unlike NIH, NSF **immediately** halted making new awards.

New awards are resuming, but that GREATLY varies by directorate (more on that tmrw).

But what’s common: these “pauses” are NOT normal for new administrations, even Trump 1.0!!

That seems the opposite of secure! Haha

Classic!

Judge blocks Trump administration’s mass firings of federal workers A federal judge ruled that the terminations at several agencies, including the Department of Defense, were likely illegal.

“ A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Office of Personnel Management to rescind directives that initiated the mass firing of probationary government workers in several agencies across the government, ruling that the terminations were probably illegal.” ✊🏻 #AFGE

wapo.st/3QJEf7f

Amongst all the chaos and changes that have happened in our country over the last several weeks, I find myself trying to understand both sides of the debate. But it’s the cruelty and the callousness that I can’t get over. There is absolutely no excuse for it and it’s not OK.

‘’Each book represents critical knowledge lost that would have driven US innovation and bolstered American security’’ - representing 168 NSF employees who were cruelly fired from their jobs yesterday

Handwritten notes on a metal table at the National Science Foundation, 2/18/25. The messages include "You deserve better! Thank you!"; "Thank you colleagues! This RIF is WRONG. These orders are immoral & illegal"; and "Your service will forever be remembered and deeply valued - ENG directorate".

This morning, the US National Science Foundation fired 168 employees, approximately 10% of its workforce, for no cause other than they were the agency's most recent hires. 🧪

Co-workers are leaving supportive messages before they have to clear out of the building at 5 p.m. Sent to me by a source ⬇️

Margaret is one of several colleagues I’m losing at 1:00p today, including one of my best friends who finally got his dream job 5 months ago. Fuck all of this.

I’m so sorry

GEBCO

Well that’s unconstitutional for one thing. They don’t seem to care

First off, it's critical to note:

NSF is CONGRESSIONALLY MANDATED to evaluate proposals via broader impacts, as defined by this law below.

Hence, if the admin wants NSF to deviate, that's called **breaking the law** (important to remind Congress of that)

www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/...

2/5

Lots of chert in the Franciscan