INNOVATION January-February 2015

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Letters to the editor of 300 words or less can be e-mailed to innovation@apeg.bc.ca. While we welcome your input, due to space limitations we may be unable to publish all letters received. Opinions expressed in letters to the editor are not necessarily endorsed by APEGBC.

Value of Mandatory CPD Should be Demonstrated

technology available, there remains no open forum for the members to express their views and ask questions. Why not? Niall Parker, P.Eng. Pender Island, BC Editor’s Note: For more information on the professional development consultation, see page 13. Flawed Climate Change Position Paper APEGBC’s Position Paper on climate change published early in 2014 raises more questions than it answers. The Task Force report of February 2010 and the new position paper are highly flawed. Both ignore the revelations of scientific corruption in the climate community revealed by the Climategate scandal in November 2009 and the now well-demonstrated lack of global warming for some 17 years and counting. Instead, engineers are led to believe that the world will face “...hotter summers…and warmer, wetter winters,” clearly contrary to the evidence from the instrumental record. The 17-year temperature pause clearly is at odds with the Task Force statement “...that mankind is affecting the rate at which the climate is changing, above the natural levels, primarily through our consumption of carbon based products that are increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.” Furthermore, no peer-reviewed literature was cited to support the position paper. Indeed, the only relevant reference is to the average of 30 climate models identified by the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (PCIC) at the University of Victoria. Not one of those models predicted the current temperature stasis—they all run overly “hot.” One of the models, the University of Victoria’s Earth System Climate Model (ESCM), is the worst predictor in the group. The unfortunate outcome is that an ill- conceived policy that will affect engineers’ practice has been foisted on APEGBC members without a broad and full consultation with all members. Imposition of policy by diktat does not befit an organization of this stature. Other major policy issues facing APEGBC are put to

APEGBC members have been recently asked to participate in a survey to find out what information we need to become more informed on the topic of Mandatory CPD. As always, I have taken the view that such a program should only be considered if it can be demonstrated that it provides value to both the members of our association and the public at large. The typical response from council has been along the lines of “everyone else is doing it,” “public perception,” “optics” and similar fuzzy reasons more in line with marketing than engineering. It has already been decided that we will have a bylaw to vote on next year defining what the shape of the Mandatory CPD program should be, and yet we have not had a proper discussion as to whether a mandatory program will actually help! What we need is an objective review of engineering practice in both those areas where a mandatory program is in place and where it remains optional. Is there a difference in the quality of engineering?

Is the public safer? What does such a system cost? Who should pay for it? The bottom line is whether making CPD mandatory is worthwhile, then we can decide what shape it should be if it is necessary. As an engineer, I prefer hard facts and rational analysis, definitely some statistics. Thus far, the proponents of MCPD have not shown us any. A broader discussion by all the members of APEGBC would be helpful as well. Despite many promises and abundant web

Tetra Tech’s New Vancouver Office

Tetra Tech is very pleased to announce that our two downtown Vancouver companies, Tetra Tech WEI (ex Wardrop) and Tetra Tech EBA (ex EBA), will be co-locating into new office space at 885 Dunsmuir Street in the heart of downtown Vancouver on January 1, 2015.

New Address Suite 1000 - 10 th Floor 885 Dunsmuir Street Vancouver, BC V6C 1N5

Tel: 604.408.3788 (Tetra Tech WEI) Tel: 604.685.0275 (Tetra Tech EBA)

Tetra Tech provides clear solutions in consulting, engineering, program management, construction management, and technical services worldwide.

a vote. Why not this one? J.E. Christoffersen, P.Eng. White Rock, BC

tetratech.com

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