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Geosciences and Energy Policy

GSA members are invited to submit comments and suggestions regarding the following Position Statement draft
by 15 Aug. 2017 at www.geosociety.org/PositionStatements.

Development of a comprehensive energy policy that signifi-
cantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions is essential for the
future economic vitality, environmental well-being, and
health and security of the citizens of the United States as well
as other nations. Geoscientists locate, quantify, and help
develop energy resources, and, along with professionals in
other disciplines, assess and mitigate the impact of energy-
resource development, operations, and use on the environ-
ment. Accordingly, input from geoscientists must be an inte-
gral part of all energy policy deliberations.

Position Statement Draft PURPOSE Figure 1. World Energy Consumption 1990–2040. Source: EIA, Interna-
tional Energy Outlook 2016. The IEO2016 Reference Case projections do
This position statement summarizes the importance of the not include the effects of the recently finalized Clean Power Plan (CPP)
geosciences in developing fundamental data upon which sound regulations in the United States (link: http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/ieo/
energy policy should be based, and the contributions geoscien- world.cfm). Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
tists can make to the framing of energy policy. Most energy (OECD) member countries include most European countries, Australia,
sources have important and distinct geologic factors that should Canada, Chile, Korea, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Turkey,
be considered when analyzing the life-cycle impacts related to and the United States.
exploration, extraction, development, operations, waste disposal,
decommissioning, and reclamation. As the human population continues to surge beyond seven billion,
and developing and emerging countries transition to consumer-
The abundant and cheap fossil fuels that made the United based economies, global demand for energy is predicted to grow
States an economic power and have raised the standard of living significantly through 2040, as seen in Figure 1.
for much of the developed world represent an energy business
model that must change. We now know that the greenhouse-gas The energy sources for projected energy use through 2040 as
emissions from fossil fuel combustion have a profound impact estimated by the U.S. Energy Information Agency are indicated in
on global climate, with effects on local and regional ecosystems, Figure 2.
and public health. In addition, over the last few years, other
energy sources have become economically competitive with According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration
fossil fuels. (EIA) “International Energy Outlook 2016,” fossil fuels will
continue to provide as much as 78% of total world energy con-
The challenge for energy policy makers is to develop a plan sumption by 2040, declining from 84% in 2012. But in real energy
that will provide cost-effective improvements for the efficient
and sustainable use of Earth’s energy resources, reduce
carbon emissions, and provide secure and affordable energy
to the world’s developing economies as well as the developed
nations of the world. The knowledge and expertise of geosci-
entists takes on an added importance as countries and indus-
tries worldwide adapt to climate change and work to reduce
carbon emissions.

RATIONALE Figure 2. World Energy Consumption by Energy Source 1990–2040.
Source: EIA, International Energy Outlook 2016. These IEO2016 Reference
The Geological Society of America (GSA) adopted a case projections include the effects of the contested Clean Power
Position Statement on Climate Change in 2006 that recognized Plan (CPP) regulations in the United States (link: http://www.eia.gov/
that anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and forecasts/ieo/world.cfm).
other greenhouse gases are the primary cause of global warm-
ing since 1880, and that this warming has significant impact on
humans and global ecosystems1. Revisions and updates of the
GSA Position Statement on Climate Change in 2010, 2013, and
2015 are consistent with the findings of the National Academies
of Science, Engineering, and Medicine2 and position state-
ments of professional societies that deal with geoscience and
climate change, such as the American Geophysical Union3,
American Meteorological Society4, American Chemical
Society5, American Association for the Advancement of
Science6, and the Geological Society of London7.

48 GSA Today | July 2017