Please find below the December edition of APEGGA's electronic newsletter, the e-PEGG. View the text-only version of the newsletter If you have trouble viewing this e-mail, you can view the e-PEGG online. Have a non e-PEGG related question or comment? Contact APEGGA. If you'd rather not get the e-PEGG, reply to this e-mail. Vol. 6, No. 12 Monday, December 21, 2009 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year APEGGA offices will be closed for the Christmas holiday season on Wednesday, Dec. 23, at noon and reopen Monday, Jan. 4. Best wishes for a safe and happy Christmas holiday and a healthy New Year from the staff at APEGGA! Calgary Science Olympics – Volunteer Event Managers and Assistants Additional event managers and assistant event managers are being recruited to help carry out the planned events. Approximately 400-500 students in grades 1-12 will participate in the hands-on science challenges. Members volunteering for these positions must be available on all of the following days. Thursday, Jan. 7, 6-8 pm Saturday, Feb 6, 9-11 am Saturday, Feb 27, (Science Olympics Day) 8 am-1 pm or 12-4:30 pm, depending on the event you are assigned. To volunteer, please contact Jeanne Keaschuk at jkeaschuk@apega.ca First Lego League Call for Judges On Saturday, Jan. 23 the FLL will hold its regional competition at NAIT’s Main Campus in Edmonton. Hundreds of young students aged 9 to 14 will compete in the Transforming Transportation – Smart Move 2009 Challenge. Will their robotic inventions master new tasks? Will they transform the way we look at transportation? You are needed to be part of this fun and exciting event. Openings are available for judges in several competition categories. For more information and to sign up as a judge, click here. Environment Committee Tip of the Month Guilt-Free Christmas Which is the greenest Christmas tree: artificial or real? Artificial trees, which are gaining in popularity (and even come in “upside-down” ceiling-mounted models), are typically made in China from non-biodegradable plastics. Although they can last for years, they ultimately end up in landfills. Real trees are renewable, recyclable and biodegradable. To keep your carbon footprint to a minimum, look for trees that are grown organically and as close to home as possible. Adding up all the carbon dioxide emitted in the manufacture of the fake tree and shipping it from China to the U.S. contributes only slightly more of the greenhouse gas than is absorbed in a year by the slowest growing trees. Fast-growing firs and pines suck up several times that amount of CO2 so cutting them down is bad. But that's not the whole story. Real trees can be turned to mulch and when continuously grown and harvested sequester even more CO2 than a single tree living its full natural life in the wild. Plus, real trees are carbon neutral--cutting them down and disposing of them emits no more CO2 than they absorbed while growing--unlike the artificial trees that rely on fossil plankton. Ultimately, a potted living tree is the greenest solution. They won't dry out in your living room and rather than spending an eternity in the local landfill, they can happily absorb planet-warming CO2 in your backyard. Dark Sky at Night Artificial night lighting doesn’t just spoil star shows; it can confuse nocturnal animals and waste energy. The International Dark-Sky Association offers these tips for reducing light pollution around your home: • Choose the lowest possible wattage. A 40-watt incandescent bulb (or a nine- to 13-watt compact fluorescent lamp) is sufficient for most outdoor uses. • Add shielding that points the light downward for any source brighter than a 100-watt incandescent. • For security applications, use motion-sensor lights; they save energy and also draw attention to intruders. PROFESSIONAL GEOSCIENTISTS WANTED GeoSkills Day 2010 — Evening Mixer When: Wednesday, Feb. 10 Where: Metropolitan Centre, 333 Fourth Ave SW, Calgary Time: 4:30 – 8 pm The mixer introduces U of A, U of C and Mount Royal University students to Professional Members and to Technical Societies. The former can provide insight into career opportunities and the latter insight into the advantages of belonging to a society. If you are interested in volunteering for the evening mixer or wish more information on GeoSkills Day please call Becky Windley at 403-262-7714 or email bwindley@apega.ca. Cybermentor Would you like to inspire the next generation of engineers? If you have 10 minutes a week to help a girl realize her potential, then you should become a mentor. You can make a difference through the Cybermentor program, an online mentoring program aimed at girls in Alberta, ages 11 through 18. The program matches girls with women who have chosen careers in engineering, science, medicine, math or technology. These matches are held during the school year and you will exchange online messages once a week. Over 2,000 women and girls participate. Cybermentor is headquartered out of the University of Calgary. To sign up, please visit www.cybermentor.ca and click on Join Cybermentor today! If you have any questions, please contact the Cybermentor Program Director at 403-220-8283 or administrator@cybermentor. WinSETT Centre Launch and The First Annual WISEST Lecture Building Gender Diversity – Lecture by the Hon. A. Anne McLellan, P.O., O.C. M.C. Lesley MacDonald, Host, Woman of Vision Thursday, Jan. 14, 5 – 8 pm Telus Centre, University of Alberta, 111th Street & 87th Avenue Parking under the Timm’s Centre off 112th Street Wine and cheese reception at 5 pm with hors d’oeuvres at 7 pm RSVP to www.wisest.ualberta.ca PEGs Ahead Watch for these stories in coming hardcopy and online editions of The PEG The Case of the Missing G – Our new magazine launches in early February, with new features, more colour and a new approach to hardcopy coverage. Look Who’s Become a Member – You never know who is going to be joining the ranks of Alberta’s largest professional association. Teamwork Plus – Associated Engineering assembles a super team to come up with an award-winning upgrade of a water treatment plant. The Summit Series – more articles on our 2009 winners. Going Nuclear – Our inaugural mag takes on one of the hottest and most controversial energy subjects in the province. APEGGA Head Office 1500 Scotia One 10060 Jasper Ave. NW Edmonton AB T5J 4A2 Tel: 780-426-3990 1-­800-­661-­7020 (within North America) Fax: 780-426-1877 E-mail: email@apega.ca Website: www.apega.ca Calgary Office 2200 Scotia Centre 700 2nd Street SW Calgary, AB T2P 2W1 Tel: 403-262-7714 Fax: 403-269-2787 FAST FIND ARTICLES Calgary Science Olympics... First Lego League... Environment Committee... Geoskills Day... Cybermentor... WISEST/WinSETT... PEGGS Ahead... SIDEBARS Check it Out Branches Professional Development CHECK IT OUT THE PEGG ONLINE– Members Vote For Compliance Nominees 2010 Election Ethics Compliance President's Notebook The Climate Factor Emerald Foundation Council Briefs Calgary Branch Executive The Geo Beat Axiom Solar Racecar National Scholarship Memorial Foundation From Halloween to Hockey Robotics Group Takes Off Degree Program Readers' Forum Discipline Committee Decision These headlines and more await you in the December PEGG Online. ------------------------------------------ BRANCHES PRESIDENT'S VISIT FEB 3 & 4 – Fort McMurray FEB 10 – Peace River FEB 16 – Edmonton FEB 25 – Calgary MAR 2 – Lakeland MAR 3 – Vermilion River MAR 10 – Central Alberta EDMONTON BRANCH Branch Luncheon Jan 19 Innovative Techniques to Drive Down Large Mobile Equipment Operating Costs Branch Luncheon and Annual General Meeting Feb 16 APEGGA President's Visit and AGM Don't miss any of our engaging luncheon speakers. Click here to download the 2009/10 Edmonton Branch Luncheon Calendar. December Luncheon Presentation material ( Drinking Water Quality – Safety and Public Health Risk) is available here. CALGARY BRANCH Branch Luncheon Jan 19 EnCana’s Split, Key Resource Plays and North American Shales PD Evening Feb 11 Liability Awareness PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ONE-DAY PD SEMINAR – Succeeding Professionally Overseas Edmonton – Jan 27 Calgary – Jan 28 TWO-DAY PD SEMINAR – Train the Trainer: Assisting Internationally Educated Graduates (IEGs) Calgary - Feb 1 & 2 © 2009 The Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta. All Rights Reserved. Subscribe | Unsubscribe | Change of E-mail |