"Switch" selected Best of the Fest at Colorado Environmental Film Festival

The new energy documentary, Switch, featuring Texas State Geologist Scott Tinker was selected "Best of the Fest" at the Colorado Environmental Film Festival last night. [Right, filming geothermal energy in Iceland]

The film description in the CEEF program explains:

What will it really take, to switch from oil and coal, to their alternatives? Dr. Scott Tinker, Director of the Bureau of Economic Geology, professor of geosciences, and renowned energy lecturer, embarks on a round the world journey to answer this and related questions: If coal is dirty, why do we keep using it? Can we really clean it up? Will oil get more expensive? Will it run out? How quickly will we adopt alternatives, and which ones? How risky is hydraulic fracturing? How dangerous is nuclear? What are the biggest challenges, and most promising solutions, to our energy transition? What role does each of us play? Dr. Tinker goes inside the world's premiere energy sites for all resources, from coal to solar, and talks to leaders in government, industry and academia, exploring the world of energy like no documentary has ever done before. Test audiences have called this 'the most important energy film since An Inconvenient Truth.'

Transition of Nevada State Geologist

Nevada State Geologist Jon Price announced that Dr. James E. Faulds [right, credit NBMG] will be replacing him as State Geologist and Director of the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology (NBMG) at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) when Jon retires at the end of June. Between now and then, Jim and Jon will be sharing duties of the position, as they transition to his leadership.

Jim, who has been with NBMG since 1997, is an expert in structural geology, tectonics, and geothermal systems. He has published widely on extensional and strike-slip tectonics, nonmarine salt deposits, and structural controls on geothermal systems, including relations between current geothermal activity and young epithermal mineral deposits. He has mapped dozens of quadrangles in Nevada, including some in the Searchlight mining district in southern Nevada, the Carlin trend, the Walker Lane, and several known geothermal resource areas. His geothermal research has been instrumental in developing more sophisticated exploration strategies for geothermal systems. He has also taught courses in structural geology, tectonics, geothermal exploration, and field geology, including serving as Director of UNR’s geology field camp for 5 years. He has served as advisor for 14 graduate students while at UNR. He is also the current President of the Nevada Petroleum Society.

Jim earned his B.S. (with highest honors) at the University of Montana, his M.S. at the University of Arizona, and his Ph.D. at the University of New Mexico. He held postdoctoral research positions at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and at the University of Southern California and was on the faculty at the University of Iowa before joining NBMG.

Please welcome Jim in his new roles as the NBMG Director and the State Geologist of Nevada.

Nevada's Jon Price to receive WSSPC Lifetime Achievement Award

Jon Price, State Geologist of Nevada, and Director of the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology is the recipient of the Western States Seismic Policy Council Lifetime Achievement Award in Earthquake Risk Reduction.[Photo credit NBMG]

WSSPC created the Lifetime Achievement Award to recognize outstanding leaders in earthquake risk reduction. The qualifications for the award state: The recipient will have demonstrated throughout his or her career an extraordinary commitment, level of service, and contribution to the application of earthquake risk reduction to public policy. The Award is given only when a nominee’s outstanding qualifications merit granting an award.

The award will be presented at the Awards luncheon at the 2012 National Earthquake Conference/ EERI Annual Meeting on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee.