AAPG Statements on:
- Geologic Carbon Storage
- Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Resources
- Hydraulic Fracturing
- Preservation of Geological and Geophysical Data
- National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska Access
- Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Access
- United States National Energy Supply
- Climate Change
- Tax Reform
- Natural Gas Supply Concerns
- Reformation of the Endangered Species Act
- Reformation of the Clean Water Act -- Wetlands Access
- Offshore OCS Access
- Research and Development Needs
- Oil and Gas Workforce Needs in the 21st Century
Climate Change (PDF)
Issue:
In the last century growth in human populations has increased energy use. This has contributed additional carbon dioxide (CO2) and other gases to the atmosphere. Although the AAPG membership is divided on the degree of influence that anthropogenic CO2 has on recent and potential global temperature increases, the AAPG believes that expansion of scientific climate research into the basic controls on climate is important. This research should be undertaken by appropriate federal agencies involved in climate research and their associated grant and contract programs.
Background:
Geologists study the history of the earth and realize climate has changed often in the past due to natural causes. The Earth’s climate naturally varies constantly, in both directions, at varying rates, and on many scales. In recent decades global temperatures have risen. Yet, our planet has been far warmer and cooler than today many times in the geologic past, including the past 10,000 years.
Certain climate simulation models predict that the warming trend will continue, as reported through NAS, AGU, AAAS, and AMS. AAPG respects these scientific opinions but wants to add that the current climate warming projections could fall within well-documented natural variations in past climate and observed temperature data. These data do not necessarily support the maximum case scenarios forecast in some models. To be predictive, any model of future climate should also accurately model known climate and greenhouse gas variations recorded in the geologic history of the past 200,000 years.
Learn more:
Read AAPG's publication that further discusses worldwide climate. The first chapter of Geological Perspectives of Global Climate Change is provided here as a PDF.
You may order this book edited by Lee Gerhard, William Harrison, and Bernold Hanson through the AAPG Bookstore.
Statement:
- AAPG supports expanding scientific climate research into the basic controls on climate specifically including the geological, solar and astronomic aspects of climate change. Research should include understanding causes of past climate change and the potential effects of both increasing and decreasing temperatures in the future.
- AAPG supports research to narrow probabilistic ranges on the effect of anthropogenic CO2 on global climate.
- AAPG supports reducing emissions from fossil fuel use as a worthy goal. (However, emission reduction has an economic cost, which must be compared to the potential environmental gain).
- AAPG supports the premise that economies must retain their vitality to be able to invest in alternative energy sources as fossil fuels become more expensive.
- AAPG supports thepursuit of economically viable technology to sequester carbon dioxide emissions and emissions of other gases in a continuing effort to improve our environment and enhance energy recovery.
- AAPG supports measures to conserve energy, which has the affect of both reducing emissions and preserving energy supplies for the future.
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