Decision-Makers Targeted

Booklet Tailored for Public

A 48-page booklet produced by AAPG, "Energy and Environment: A Partnership That Works," is being distributed to key U.S. decision-makers and the public via affiliated societies, making the point that "there is no reason why society cannot simultaneously enjoy adequate energy supplies and a safe and clean environment."

Subtitled "The Actual Impacts of Oil and Gas Exploration and Development on Our Environment," the four-color booklet is drawn from presentations made at the AAPG President's Conference on National Issues held in Washington, D.C., in late 2002.

Editors Lee C. Gerhard, Victor J. Yannacone and Carl J. Smith were also principles in the planning of the conference, which was held at the Reserve Officer Association Building across the street from the U.S. Capitol. It included presentations on supply and demand issues, industry environmental practices and impact and evidence of environmental responsibility -- with the intent to bring a view of rational science into the policy debate.

The booklet reflects the conference presentations, which were highly visual, with short, to-the-point briefings that attracted management from three regulatory agencies.

Then-AAPG President Dan L. Smith opened the Washington meeting and also wrote the introduction and the conclusion for the booklet. He states that geologists fully appreciate their role as stewards of the earth -- and as environmentalists they deploy the science and technology responsibly to provide the energy that provides for civilization.

Gerhard, who spearheaded the project, noted the booklet -- and the Washington presentations -- targets a non-scientific audience, and every page includes a photo or full-color graphic.

Topics include:

• A synopsis of energy needs production and resources (updated with 2005 numbers) by Pete Stark of IHS Energy.
• Conventional and alternative energy resources, by Charles Mankin, of the University of Oklahoma.
• Environmental evolution of the petroleum industry, by Gerhard and William F. Lawson.
• Current practices, by William Harrison, of the Kansas Geological Survey.
• Exploration and production in an urban environment, by Don Clarke, of Lakewood, Calif.
• An overview of how Canada handles environmental matters, by John Hogg, of EnCana Corp. in Calgary.

In a cover letter to decision-makers and society presidents, AAPG President Pete Rose wrote "Most Americans are unfamiliar with the process of exploration and development of energy resources. They still harbor images of 1920s forests of derricks, unsightly production facilities and contaminated surroundings. But petroleum exploration and development have progressed greatly and continually over the past 80 years, as America changed, environmental consciousness increased, and technology permitted environmentally compatible access to petroleum regions, onshore and offshore."

He wrote "the booklet outlines modern petroleum exploration and production methods, illustrating how the high-technology industry of today works in harmony with preservation of scenic and intrinsic values of our public lands."

The booklet also was distributed along with the Global Climate Change poster (November 2004 EXPLORER) at the National Conference of State Legislators held in Seattle in August.

A downloadable PDF file of the booklet is available on the AAPG Web site at http://www.aapg.org/energy_summit/index.cfm. The printed booklet is available upon request by contacting the AAPG communications department at 800-364-2274 (U.S. & Canada only), others 918-584-2555, Ext. 634.