Shaping Policy with Geoscience

Insights from the 2024 Critical Needs Document

The American Geosciences Institute recently released the 2024 Critical Needs document, a guide for policymakers on how the geosciences support society in areas critical to policy issues. Christopher Keane of AGI and David Wunsch of the Delaware Geological Survey led the committee, which included contributors from AGI’s geologic member societies. My role on the committee was to represent AAPG in the 2024 update of this document.

The 2024 Critical Needs document focuses on the impact of geoscience on six topics:

  • Economy
  • Infrastructure
  • Innovation
  • National Security
  • Public Safety and Natural Hazards
  • Diplomacy

These broad and overarching themes are intentional, as multiple geoscience disciplines touch each of these areas. The document showcases this cross-pollination while providing case studies and recent relevant legislation for the target audience of congressional staffers.

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The American Geosciences Institute recently released the 2024 Critical Needs document, a guide for policymakers on how the geosciences support society in areas critical to policy issues. Christopher Keane of AGI and David Wunsch of the Delaware Geological Survey led the committee, which included contributors from AGI’s geologic member societies. My role on the committee was to represent AAPG in the 2024 update of this document.

The 2024 Critical Needs document focuses on the impact of geoscience on six topics:

  • Economy
  • Infrastructure
  • Innovation
  • National Security
  • Public Safety and Natural Hazards
  • Diplomacy

These broad and overarching themes are intentional, as multiple geoscience disciplines touch each of these areas. The document showcases this cross-pollination while providing case studies and recent relevant legislation for the target audience of congressional staffers.

For example, under the theme of Innovation, the document states, “Geoscience is the catalyst for groundbreaking innovation, advancing energy solutions, environmental stewardship, and disaster resilience that drives technological progress, sustains resources, and shapes a sustainable future.” It then highlights how this is achieved through energy exploration and extraction, environmental protection and restoration, water resources management, advanced material development, hazard assessment and mitigation, climate change research, carbon capture and storage and coastal and marine geosciences. The document then discusses case studies, such as “In the past decade, geoscientists have driven innovations in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling technologies. These advancements have unlocked vast reserves of shale gas, particularly in formations like the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania, significantly boosting the U.S. energy supply and reducing reliance on imported oil, while reducing net carbon emissions.”

From this portion of the document, recent relevant legislation and policy are explained, including executive orders, congressional legislation, relevant federal agencies, related national academy reports and non-partisan non-profit expertise.

Who Is It For?

The primary target audience of this document is the U.S. government. However, the recommendations can be applied to other countries as well as state and local governments. The impact and application of the geosciences are global, as natural phenomena do not stop at state or country lines.

The Critical Needs document is updated every four years to align with the major election cycle, as there can be a lot of turnover in D.C. This document has a long history of being used by administration and congressional offices as a reference.

What’s New?

So, what is different about the 2024 Critical Needs document?

There was an effort to provide a simpler and more concise message in an easy-to-read electronic format. Congressional staffers today consume information quickly, so the document is designed to be easily readable on a cell phone with digestible bullets. There was also a concerted effort to have the overarching themes focus on topical areas on which Congress is currently working. The goal is to make the Critical Needs document more of a living document, updated as new legislation is produced.

Not only is the Critical Needs document a great resource for policymakers, but it also showcases all the facets of life that geosciences touch. As students look toward a future career in the geosciences, the Critical Needs document demonstrates different career paths they can aspire to.

Check out the Critical Needs document at CriticalNeeds.org.

Also check out the SEG podcast with David Wunsch discussing the Critical Needs document at SEG.org/podcasts/episode-242-shaping-policy-with-geoscience-agis-critical-needs-document/

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