American Geophysical Union (AGU)
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a prominent professional organization established in 1919, dedicated to the advancement of Earth and space sciences. With a membership exceeding sixty thousand, the AGU encompasses researchers, educators, and students across various scientific disciplines, including atmospheric sciences, geodesy, ocean sciences, and planetary sciences, among others. The organization is structured into twenty-five sections, each focusing on a specific field of study, and is governed by an elected council comprising members from diverse scientific backgrounds.
The AGU's mission is to inspire and support a global community in research that benefits humanity and the environment, promoting the scientific study of Earth and space through various channels, including professional meetings, publications, and educational programs. It emphasizes the importance of adhering to the scientific method, fostering the free exchange of ideas, and maintaining accountability to the public.
A significant aspect of the AGU's work involves addressing climate change, which it recognizes as a critical issue stemming from human activities that alter Earth's climate and have substantial societal and ecological repercussions. The organization advocates for collaborative efforts among scientists, policymakers, and the public to develop innovative solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change, highlighting the urgency for action in the face of this global challenge.
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
DATE: Established 1919
Mission
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a professional organization whose members conduct research in a wide variety of disciplines devoted to understanding Earth’s composition, dynamics, and environment in space. The AGU has a membership of more than sixty thousand researchers, teachers, and students who study Earth, its atmosphere and oceans, space, and other planets. It is divided into twenty-five sections, each for a scientific discipline. These sections include, but are not limited to: Atmospheric Sciences; Biogeosciences; Geodesy; Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism; Global Environmental Change, Hydrology; Natural Hazards, Ocean Sciences; Planetary Sciences; Science and Society, Seismology; Space Physics and Aeronomy; Tectonophysics; and Volcanology, Geochemistry, and Petrology. An elected council composed of the president-elect of the Union, the president and president-elect of each section and focus group, Union committee chairs as determined by the council, three early career scientists, three student members, and up to five other members as determined by the council governs the AGU, authorizing programs, controlling finances, and approving policies.
The AGU’s mission is to support and inspire a global community of individuals and organizations interested in advancing discovery in Earth and space sciences and its benefit for humanity and the environment. The AGU seeks to promote the scientific study of Earth and its surrounding space and to pass on discoveries to the public through research projects, professional meetings, the journal Eos, books (often available through its website), a weekly newsletter, and educational programs for nonscientists. Moreover, the AGU fosters cooperation among scientific organizations supporting geophysics and related fields. Three principles guide its mission: adherence to the scientific method, the free exchange of ideas, and accountability to the public.
Significance for Climate Change
The AGU’s position statement, “Society Must Address the Growing Climate Crisis Now," revised and reaffirmed in September 2024, unambiguously declares that Earth’s climate is out of balance because of unnatural global warming caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gases and aerosols. Human activities are directly changing Earth's climate and causing disruptive societal and ecological impacts. Moreover, it warns of civilization-altering consequences that require concerted, dramatic action. It stresses that all projections, regardless of specifics, indicate that climate change will have serious consequences for life in the twenty-first century. The uncertainty, according to the Union, rests only in the precise nature of those consequences. Regardless, society must fully prepare to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change.
The AGU statement goes on to emphasize that, unlike ozone depletion, climate change is the result of fundamental aspects of modern human society, so it cannot be mitigated easily. At base, climate change results from human energy use, which lies at the heart of virtually all aspects of modern civilization. To mitigate anthropogenic influences upon global warming, then, the AGU asserts that government, scientists, industry, and consumers will all need to cooperate in finding and adopting solutions. Innovative and responsive science and engineering will need to drive effective climate policies, and scientists, engineers, policymakers, and individuals will need to cooperate to mitigate the adverse effects of the climate crisis.
Bibliography
"AGU Sections." AGU, www.agu.org/Learn-About-AGU/About-AGU/Governance/Sections. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
Bompey, Nanci. “Humans Caused Nearly 90 Percent of Sea Level Rise from Warming of Upper Ocean, Study Says.” GeoSpace. American Geophysical Union, 15 May 2014. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
“Human‐Induced Climate Change Requires Urgent Action.” American Geophysical Union, Aug. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
"Our Bylaws." AGU, www.agu.org/Learn-About-AGU/About-AGU/Governance/Bylaws. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
“Our History.” AGU.org. American Geophysical Union, 1999. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
"Our Mission." AGU, www.agu.org/Learn-About-AGU/About-AGU/About/Mission. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
"Position Statement on Climate Change." AGU, www.agu.org/Share-and-Advocate/Share/Policymakers/Position-Statements/Position‗Climate. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
"Learn About AGU." AGU, www.agu.org/Learn-About-AGU/About-AGU. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.