ALEXANDRIA, VA — Like the air we breathe, water is essential to our daily life. Although water covers about three-quarters of Earth’s surface, it is not evenly distributed around the planet and is subject to major disruptions such as floods and droughts. Less than 1 percent of the Earth’s water is available for drinking or any other human purpose. A new poster, Water—The Essential Resource, produced by the American Geological Institute (AGI), vividly details the many roles that water plays in our lives and describes ways that every citizen can protect and preserve this indispensable resource.

    The front side of the 18” x 24” poster artistically illustrates where water is found – such as glaciers, ice, rivers, oceans – and traces the processes of precipitation, evaporation, and transpiration that continually drive the water cycle. Instructions for determining approximate home water use and estimating the amount of water wasted in the home are provided on the back. The poster also lists the names and web sites of 16 organizations concerned with water supply and use.

    The poster was designed as a companion to a non-technical book, Water and the Environment, which will be available in November and will include a copy of the poster. The poster and book are part of the AGI Environmental Awareness Series, which aims to increase public awareness and understanding of the natural systems that sustain society and life. The release of these materials closely coincides with National Water Monitoring Day, which takes place this year on October 18 and marks the 30th anniversary of the enactment of the Clean Water Act, and with the "Water is All Around You" theme selected for Earth Science Week 2002, which will be celebrated October 13-19. AGI is producing the water poster and book in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

    Approximately 17,000 middle-school science teachers received copies of the water poster as an insert in the October issue of Science Scope, a professional journal published by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), as did subscribers to Geotimes, AGI’s monthly news magazine. In an upcoming issue of NSTA’s journal, The Science Teacher, 29,000 high-school educators will also receive the poster. The water poster was included in the Earth Science Week 2002 information kits, and thousands of additional posters will be distributed to geoscientists and to the general public in the next few months by members of the AGI Federation, including the American Institute of Professional Geologists, the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, the National Earth Science Teachers Association, and the National Speleological Society.

    Water — The Essential Resource was prepared under the sponsorship of AGI’s Environmental Geoscience Advisory Committee with support from the AGI Foundation. The objective of the Environmental Awareness series is to promote better understanding of the role of the Earth sciences in all aspects of environmental concerns and issues. Since its formation in 1993, AGI’s Environmental Geoscience Advisory Committee, co-chaired by Dr. Philip E. LaMoreaux and Dr. Stephen H. Stow, has assisted the Institute by identifying projects and activities that will help AGI achieve this goal. For additional information about AGI’s environmental geoscience program, contact Travis L. Hudson, AGI Director of Environmental Affairs, by e-mail, ageology@olypen.com, or by phone, (360) 582-1844.

    Copies of Water – The Essential Resource are available from AGI for $0.50 each (minimum order is 10 copies) plus shipping and handling. Bulk pricing is offered for purchases of more than 100 copies. Rolled posters, suitable for framing, are $3.00 each. To place an order, contact the AGI Publications Center, 4220 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22302; Tel: (703) 379-2480; Fax: (703) 379-7563, E-mail: pubs@agiweb.org.

    The American Geological Institute is a nonprofit federation of 40 geoscientific and professional associations that represent more than 120,000 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. More information about AGI can be found at http://www.agiweb.org/. The Institute also provides a public-outreach web site, http://www.earthscienceworld.org/.
 

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