EVOLUTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL GEOSCIENCE IN EDUCATION, RESEARCH, AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE OVER THE LIFETIME OF AGI

This presentation will trace the evolution of environmental geoscience over the lifetime of the American Geosciences Institute, reflecting on some of the critical events that prompted development of environmental awareness, policies, legislation and regulations, and geoscience practice in the U.S. The understanding of Earth’s environment and promotion of sustainability have always been integral components of geoscience research and practice. Currently, about a quarter of the member societies of AGI represent professionals whose focus is explicitly environmental, including those with emphases on the atmosphere, water, soils, and interactions between humans and the environment. Other societies such as AGU, GSA, and AAPG have specialty divisions with an environmental focus. However, at the time of the founding of AGI 75 years ago (as the American Geological Institute), environmental concerns were implicit rather than explicit priorities of the professional societies that came together to serve as a shared voice for our science. Geoscience curricula and research programs at the university level in the U.S. have also changed significantly over the last 75 years. The “traditional” undergraduate major, emphasizing mineralogy, petrology, structural geology, and stratigraphy, has been replaced with a wide variety of tracks, many of which are identified explicitly as including environmental science. Departments previously identified as “Geology” or “Geology and Geophysics” now bear titles such as “Earth and Environmental Science”, reflecting the broader range of expertise among today’s faculty and researchers. Career opportunities have shifted dramatically from a time when the largest numbers of practicing geoscientists were employed in the mineral and fossil fuel industries to the current situation in which environmental geoscientist positions and employment growth trends significantly exceed those in petroleum and mining. This is an evolution that is likely to continue as the U.S. and other nations tackle the challenges of climate change and move towards a greener economy.