Hi Petra:

Not sure I agree with which agency your targeting your appeal. Certainly more needs to be done in this area, not just for earthquakes, but other disasters such as floods, hurricanes, etc. My impression is that the USGS is a science research organization.

The federal agancy that comes to mind for this sort of thing is FEMA, as they are the ones that deal with people and property loss due to natural disasters. Other than them, I would guess State, County, and Local governments would be in the best position to try to change the attitude of the public.

Anyways, thats my take on it. Thanks for the info!

Michael