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comprehensive recycling programs that are evaluated on the
basis of overall societal cost.
• GSA recognizes that the United States has the potential to
become energy independent through responsible development
of all forms of energy. This would have profound beneficial
economic and security consequences. GSA supports efforts to
make America energy independent as the nation transitions to
an economy with low greenhouse-gas emissions.
REFERENCES AND INTERNET LINKS
1. GSA Position Statement on Climate Change: http://www.
geosociety.org/documents/gsa/positions/pos10_climate.pdf
2. National Academies climate information: http://nas-sites.org/
americasclimatechoices/
3. Climate position statement of the American Geophysical
Union: http://sciencepolicy.agu.org/files/2013/07/
AGU-Climate-Change-Position-Statement_August-2013.pdf
4. Climate position statement of the American Meteorological
Society: https://judithcurry.com/2012/08/27/
ams-statement-on-climate-change/
5. Climate position statement of the American Chemical
Society: https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/policy/
publicpolicies/sustainability/globalclimatechange/
climate-change.pdf
6. Climate position statement of the AAAS: http://www.aaas
.org/sites/default/files/migrate/uploads/aaas_climate_
statement1.pdf
7. Climate position statement of the Geological Society of
London: http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/~/media/shared/
documents/policy/Statements/Climate%20Change%20
Statement%20Addendum%202013%20Final.pdf?la=en
8. Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the United Nations
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC):
http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/
9. IPCC Climate Change 2014 Synthesis Report: http://www
.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/syr/
10. United Nations Paris Agreement on Climate Change:
http://newsroom.unfccc.int/paris-agreement/
11. United States Energy Information Agency International
Energy Outlook 2016: http://www.eia.gov/outlooks/ieo/
12. International Energy Agency: http://www.iea.org/statistics/
13. ExxonMobil Outlook for Energy: http://corporate.exxonmobil
.com/en/energy/energy-outlook
14. BP Statistical Review of World Energy: http://www.bp.com/
en/global/corporate/energy-economics/statistical-review-of-
world-energy.html
15. GSA Position Statement on Climate: http://www.geosociety
.org/documents/gsa/positions/pos10_climate.pdf
OPPORTUNITIES FOR GSA AND ITS MEMBERS TO
HELP IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
To facilitate implementation of the goals of this position state-
ment, the Geological Society of America recommends the follow-
ing actions:
• GSA members should seek opportunities to communicate
effectively the role and importance of geoscientists to society in
locating, evaluating, and developing all forms of energy
www.geosociety.org/gsatoday
resources, and assessing the impact of energy resource devel- Position Statement Draft
opment and operations on the natural environment.
• GSA members should make clear to national, state, and local
governments, community groups, local decision makers, and
the general public the link between fossil fuel use and climate
change, and the importance of reducing carbon and other
greenhouse gas emissions by transitioning to renewable
energy resources.
• GSA members should emphasize the importance of including
geoscientists in the process of developing and implementing
energy policy, because it is the geoscience community that
understands Earth’s natural processes, the Earth’s capacity to
produce energy from fossil and renewable resources, and the
impact of energy use on the environment.
The Geological Society of America
• Can provide members with readily accessible print, Web, and
personnel resources that support geoscientists’ communica-
tions with decision makers regarding the value of the geosci-
ence community in developing energy policy.
• Can raise awareness of the role of geology and government in
mineral and energy resources by publishing articles and
conducting symposia, technical sessions, and workshops at
annual and sectional meetings on these subjects.
• As GSA members rise to the challenge of informing the
public and decision makers about energy, climate, and energy
policy, it is important that members’ positions and recom-
mendations be supported with objective and reliable energy
and climate data.
Some of the best sources for energy statistics include the
following:
• U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA): http://www.eia.gov
• International Energy Agency (IEA) http://www.iea.org/
statistics/
• Petroleum Services Association of Canada (PSAC): http://
www.psac.ca/business/industry-statistics/
• International Energy Forum (IEF): https://www.ief.org/
resources/energy-outlooks.aspx
• ExxonMobil Outlook for Energy: http://corporate
.exxonmobil.com/en/energy/energy-outlook
• BP Statistical Review of World Energy: http://www
.bp.com/en/global/corporate/energy-economics/
statistical-review-of-world-energy.html
Comprehensive information about climate change can be
found at the following sources:
• National Academies: http://nas-sites.org/
americasclimatechoices
• NASA: https://climate.nasa.gov
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:
http://www.noaa.gov/climate
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: https://www.epa
.gov/climatechange
• University of Maine Climate Change Institute: http://
climatechange.umaine.edu/about/overview
• United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change:
http://www.ipcc.ch
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