The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (or AAPG) is one of the world's largest professional geological societies with over 31,000 members as of 2007. The AAPG works to advance the science of geology (especially in regard to exploration for and production of petroleum), to promote technology, and to inspire high professional conduct. AAPG was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Currently almost 1/3 of its members live outside the United States.
AAPG publishes the AAPG Explorer magazine and AAPG Bulletin scientific journal, holds an annual meeting including a technical conference and exhibition, sponsors other conferences and continuing education for members around the world, promotes student involvement in the profession, and provides various other services to its members.
AAPG also includes divisions focused on particular aspects of the profession. These include the Division of Environmental Geosciences, Division of Professional Affairs, and the Energy and Minerals Division.
The association membership has included Harrison "Jack" Schmitt, a U.S. astronaut who walked on the moon.[1]
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In 2006 the AAPG was criticized for selecting Michael Crichton for their Journalism Award "for his recent science-based thriller State of Fear", in which Crichton exposed his skeptical view of global warming, and for Jurassic Park.[2] Daniel P. Schrag, a geochemist who directs the Harvard University Center for the Environment, called the award "a total embarrassment" that he said "reflects the politics of the oil industry and a lack of professionalism" on the association's part.[3] The award has since been renamed the "Geosciences in the Media" Award.[4]
The criticism drew attention to the AAPG's 1999 position statement[5] formally rejecting the likelihood of human influence on recent climate. The Council of the American Quaternary Association wrote in a criticism of the award that the "AAPG stands alone among scientific societies in its denial of human-induced effects on global warming."[6]
As recently as March 2007, articles in the newsletter of the AAPG Division of Professional Affairs stated that "the data does not support human activity as the cause of global warming"[7] and characterize the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports as "wildly distorted and politicized."[8]
Acknowledging that the association's previous policy statement on Climate Change was "not supported by a significant number of our members and prospective members",[9] AAPG's formal stance was reviewed and changed in July 2007.
The new statement formally accepts human activity as at least one contributor to carbon dioxide increase, but does not confirm its link to climate change, saying its members are "divided on the degree of influence that anthropogenic CO2 has" on climate. AAPG also stated support for "research to narrow probabilistic ranges on the effect of anthropogenic CO2 on global climate."[10]
AAPG also withdrew its earlier criticism of other scientific organizations and research stating, "Certain climate simulation models predict that the warming trend will continue, as reported through NAS, AGU, AAAS, and AMS. AAPG respects these scientific opinions but wants to add that the current climate warming projections could fall within well-documented natural variations in past climate and observed temperature data. These data do not necessarily support the maximum case scenarios forecast in some models."