Now that my term is two-thirds over, it seems an appropriate time for a brief summary of the current state of the Division: what it has accomplished and what accomplishments are planned for the next four months.
The Division of Environmental Geosciences continues with its two quarterly publications:
- The journal Environmental Geosciences is a peer-reviewed publication of scientific papers relevant to environmental issues. The majority of subjects for 2015-16 dealt with carbon sequestration, shale gas, structural geology and topics related to methane.
- The Spheres of Influence newsletter addresses current environmental events in the oil and gas business and includes the popular “Beauty in Geology” articles.
Recent Events
The DEG, the Division of Professional Affairs (DPA) and the Energy Minerals Division (EMD) co-sponsored the Eastern Section Meeting’s All-Division Luncheon, held in Lexington, Ky., and the DEG and EMD co-sponsored the Rocky Mountain/Pacific Section Meeting’s luncheon in Las Vegas, Nev.
The DEG’s Executive Committee approved Skyler Smith as secretary-treasurer to fulfill the remainder of Sean Kimiagar’s term through June 30, 2017. Thanks to both of you for serving on the Division’s Executive Committee.
As a member of AAPG’s Advisory Council, I have had the opportunity to work with the other Council members on electing the recipients of the annual honors and awards to be presented at ACE and also discussing budgeting matters and cost saving measures that will assure the continued success of AAPG. The recommendations of the Advisory Council have been submitted to AAPG’s Executive Committee for consideration.
We have initiated the process of modifying DEG’s bylaws to restructure the standing committees, and also to form two new ad hoc committees. Of the current six standing committees, three are administrative (Annual Meeting, Publication and Nominating) and three are technical (Hydrogeology, Environmental Geophysics and CO2 Sequestration). An Honors and Awards Administrative Standing Committee will be added, and two new ad hoc technical committees will be formed to include Fugitive Emissions and Induced Seismicity to address these issues facing the petroleum industry.
ACE 2018 – Salt Lake City
Work has begun on DEG activities for the 2018 Annual Convention and Exhibition in Salt Lake City, Utah. Many of the program themes have already been identified, and DEG’s President-elect Stephen Testa has agreed to be involved with organizing the Division’s technical program. Much coordination is required to sponsor activities at meetings, so please contact Stephen if you are able to help out.
Advisory Board Member John Kaldi from the Asia/Pacific Region (Australia) has been nominated as a candidate for President-elect of AAPG.
Joining DEG
DEG membership is currently at 925.
Environmental concerns related to energy development are not going away, so please give serious consideration to joining the DEG. The annual dues for AAPG Members is $25, Student AAPG members are free (yes, free!). There are always positions available to serve on one of the committees, the Advisory Board (representing six Sections in the United States, six Regions internationally and two at-large Members) or the Executive Committee.
100th Anniversary ACE in Houston
We have a strong lineup of events at ACE 2017, primarily due to the efforts of Bryan Byrd (technical chair) and Jeff Aldrich (DEG’s immediate past president).
Activities include:
- Two forums: “The Next 100 Years of Global Energy Use: Resources, Impacts and Economics” (with the EMD) and “The Future Best Practices for Extraction Industries in a Lower Carbon Environment” (with the DPA).
- Oral and poster sessions:
- Climate, Environment, and Challenges to the Industry
- Fuel Demands, Environmental, and Mitigation Best Practices
- Induced Seismicity, Hydro Fracturing, and other Oil Recovery Best Practices
- A short course: “Monte Carlo Methods – The Need-to-Know Practical Primer.”
- A luncheon co-sponsored with the EMD: The speaker will be Dr. Bridget Scanlon, director of the Sustainable Water Resources Program at the Bureau of Economic Geology in Austin, Texas. The annual DEG awards will also be presented.
I am looking forward to meeting many of you at this historic event, and am delighted to be representing the Division.