The nation’s top geologist told an audience that Hoosier’s should be prepared for an earth and for a growing transition to renewable energy. Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, Marcia McNutt says cities can best prepare for earthquakes by enforcing smart building standards.
McNutt pointed to the 2011 earthquake in Virginia as a warning to the rest of the country. Although it was only a 5.7 magnitude earthquake, the financial cost amounted to $100 million in damages.
IU Professor of Geological Sciences, Michael Hamburger, says the lecture was well received.
“This was a very good reminder that earthquakes happen not just out in California or Alaska but in the interior of our continent as well and it’s something we have in our future, ” he says.
McNutt also emphasized the growing need for an “all of the above” approach to energy.
“We need to continue to look at fossil fuels but we also need a very aggressive stance on renewables,” she says.
McNutt’s talk was one of the few times she has spoken publically at a university.