A work in progress: contribute to deliberations with suggestions in comments

The Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry, and physiology or medicine began in 1901. Biological sciences are thus somewhat represented, but geological sciences, including Earth-applied biological sciences are not represented. As a result:
1) Geological science is the science class skipped in high school by students with science aptitude.
2) 50% of the U.S. population believes in creationism...thus
3) ~50% of the U.S. population does not believe in an old Earth...thus
4) ~50% of the U.S. population cannot reason about climate change and other environmental issues...thus
5) A Nobel prize winning physicist and director of the DOE thinks agricultural biofuels are a good idea.
6) Geological hazard issues go unheeded (New Orleans, L.A. ...)
7) Resource scarcity issues go unheeded (Phoenix, L.A. ... )
8) People think dinosaurs and cave men lived at the same time.
9) The general population does not understand or even accept the dire implications of Peak Oil.
10) University administrations think they can eliminate geological science departments and still maintain university accreditation.

Thus we need geological science Nobels. Penrose medal winners will certainly be considered, but the Geological Society of America is not an international (or Swedish) organization. We've got a lot of catching up to do, so ...