READERS' FORUM

New to APEGGA Members Inducted
Into Academy of Engineering

C0₂ Is No Pollutant

Re: All They Are Saying Is Give Coal a Chance, The PEGG, September 2003

This is a very interesting and timely article on the state-of-the-art of engineering of coal fixed electrical generation plants. However, I do want to point out one misleading portion.

Midway through, the story says, "GP3 also reins in pollution…" The next paragraph states, "The result is a 10 per cent CO₂ reduction…"

CO₂ is not a pollutant. It is a minor constituent of our atmosphere essential to the growth and well-being of plant life.

Claims that it is a major driver in the "greenhouse effect" are misleading. Studies show that water vapour is responsible for 97 per cent of the effect.

Further on in the article NO₂ and sulphur reductions are rightly credited with lowering pollution. The public must be made aware that CO₂ is not a pollutant.

Eric Loughead, P.Geol.
Calgary

Technical Emphasis Needed

Re: APEGGA Has Lost Its Way, The PEGG, Readers' Forum, May 2003

I fully agree with the letter by Merle Wilde, P.Eng. APEGGA has lost its way, and for some time now.

The placement of its offices within prime real estate has no rational explanation.

As far as decisions being made by APEGGA, all decisions that affect members should be put to a full membership vote. Otherwise, what proof is there that the organization is representing the members?

Most of the Continuing Professional Development qualifying time has nothing to do with technical expertise. Engineers, geologists and geophysicists are technical experts (or should be) by profession, not community leaders and hockey coaches by profession.

I have never received any benefit out of APEGGA other than being able to obtain cheap life insurance - and I have been a member for 30 years!

I think it's time for the deadwood to be cleared out and APEGGA be re-organized into a truly progressive, technical-professional organization, instead of a patronization society for its leadership.

Bill Bohdan, P.Eng.
Calgary

Refreshing Viewpoint

Re: Energy Sustainability - Economic Millstone or the Key to Competitiveness? Expert's Corner, The PEGG, September 2003, by Peter Garforth, P.E.

How nice, for a change, to see a writer in a mainstream Alberta publication who is not complaining about the Kyoto Accord, denying the climate change effects of energy consumption, or alleging that the sky will fall if energy production and consumption are curtailed in the interest of health and planetary sustainability. Mr. Garforth's article should be required reading for politicians - municipal, provincial and federal - as well as for engineers and engineering students.

Some will no doubt complain that Mr. Garforth is writing with a bias, since he makes his living from advising on how to reduce consumption. But surely his bias is no greater than that of those people tied to energy production who constantly bemoan Kyoto.

At least Mr. Garforth's bias makes sense in relation to the growing scientific consensus on global warming, atmospheric pollution and fossil fuel exhaustion.

Charles R. Neill, P.Eng.
Edmonton

Why Is So Much Mandatory?

Fulfilling APEGGA's mandatory requirements, as reported in recent editions of The PEGG, has become more time consuming.

Firstly, there's Professional Practice Management Plans for permit holders. A PPMP is now a regulatory requirement. Am I the only member who missed previous announcements on this?

Draft 2.0 of the May 2003 Guideline for Professional Management Plans says that "as a minimum, a PPMP shall address: Management, Organization and Responsibilities; Ethical Standards; Professional and Technical Resources; Quality Control; and Professional Documents and Records." The plan must be reviewed and revised (as needed) annually.

The document goes on, "This guideline is meant to assist APEGGA permit holders to prepare a PPMP that will satisfy regulatory requirements," and, "Ideally, this document will also be helpful to permit holders in considering how they manage their professional practices."

Improving the management of professional practices, therefore, is only a potential secondary benefit and not the main objective. How does this provide added protection to the public? Who initiated the PPMPs? APEGGA or the Alberta Government?

Secondly, there's Continuing Professional Development. Legislation now includes a provision that will result in a member being struck from the register if he or she fails to produce a record of CPD activities within 30 days of being asked for one.

The intent of the CPD Program is admirable, although the application of this enforcement will be interesting. Think of it from the perspective of the public, if a full-time technical specialist loses his or her P.Eng. membership for not maintaining adequate records or failing to be a Boy Scouts Leader, while a non-practicing, non-technical person maintains the P.Eng. designation.

I request that APEGGA publish a comprehensive spreadsheet comparing its major requirements, such as the ones mentioned here, with those of other Canadian associations. What are other associations' programs and mandatory follow-up requirements?

Wim Veldman, P.Eng.
Calgary