"Are
you concerned about America's National Energy Policy?"
Division
of Professional Affairs' Governmental Affairs Committee member Jim
Drahovzal and AAPG Treasurer Clint Moore asked this question of
U.S. state legislators during the three-day National Conference
of State Legislatures meeting in Salt Lake City in late July.
NCSL said
about 4,000 attended the conference, including about 1,000 state
legislators. Others in attendance included legislative staff members,
lobbyists and special interest group representatives.
Drahovzal
and Moore offered to those interested a GAC flier that showed what
an incredibly good value oil and gas resources are, and how important
petroleum geologists are in assuring the world's future supply of
oil and gas. They also passed out DPA's brochure on AAPG position
papers on key petroleum exploration issues.
"This was
the third year that AAPG has been involved in this important mission
of letting state legislators know what we as explorationists think
are the important energy issues related to petroleum geology," Drahovzal
said.
In addition
to AAPG, booth sponsors included the American Institute of Professional
Geologists, the American Association of State Geologists and the
Association of Engineering Geologists.
This year
the NCSL Standing Committee on Energy and Electric Utilities failed
to approve language that would have specifically encouraged drilling
in ANWR. However, the committee's approved statement endorsed overall
exploration and enhanced recovery of domestic oil and gas.
"We believe
that our continued participation at NCSL, as well as our greater
commitment to our broad governmental affairs effort, constitute
an important role for AAPG and DPA to play, by effectively representing
the interests of our membership as advocates for policies that enhance
our profession through petroleum exploration and development worldwide,"
Moore said.
"To not
participate in shaping governmental energy policy at all levels
is to turn over our profession's future to governmental leaders
that would make public policy without our profession's essential
input, knowledge and experience," he added. "Our profession provides
a critically important service to our global society, and we all
need to be involved in governmental affairs wherever our profession's
expertise is needed."