Professional Geologists, No Licensure Required in Colorado Options

[ASTROBLEME]

While 29 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico require professional geologists to have a Professional Geologist (P.G.) license, Colorado does not. The state certainly has an interest in protecting citizens, government entities and companies from unethical and/or incompetent practice.

Here's a link to what Colorado requires;

PG Definition

Our state should impose a licensure process in order to assure accountability and responsibility of P.G. practitioners.

ASTROBLEME

[Clay Diggins]

Generally degreed professions are self certifying and self regulating. If you went to a good school, got good grades, interned with known professionals and have good work references you are good to go. One can realize their dream to become a game warden or a Horticulturist without asking permission from any government board. It's really all about the ability to get hired and then having the knowledge and experience to carry out the job in a timely manner while meeting or exceeding the clients expectations and getting paid. Those who can't rise to those standards really don't have much of a chance of succeeding as an individual in their chosen profession but may find themselves working under another professional or gaining supervised public service employment.

The habit of legislators to attempt to regulate professionals is fairly recent in this country. I think you will find that with the exception of the legal and medical guilds self regulation most States licensing requirements are often random, changing and maybe not what you thought a license or registration was all about. Part of the reason for that is because professionals actions in relation to their profession can only really be judged by by other professionals in the same field.

The courts will give credence to a professional opinion as long as there is no contrary professional opinion being offered. That's why as a matter of law professions are self certifying and self regulating. If there is a general consensus in a profession on what a proper method or procedure is the rest of us are pretty much stuck with that version.

As long as a profession is capable of maintaining an association that sets standards and represents the majority of a profession they can also, as a group, become the legal standard for the profession. GAAP is a good example of that model. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants sets the legal requirements for accounting - not your legislators.

Choosing geologists out of all the professions can be a real minefield when you are discussing certification. You are aware that geology isn't a science? ALL of geology is based on best knowledge opinions and theories. While one oil field or mineral deposit has a specific set of control mechanisms that may be well understood there will be no other oil field or mineral deposit with exactly the same set of control mechanisms. Even practical geology is all about skill and the ability to produce results. Geology rhymes but it doesn't repeat.

The atomics and chemistry behind the why of geology are sciences but geology itself is fluid and not reproducible. It would be as if animal Taxonomy were based on smell because all genetics were randomly assembled. You might be able to pin down an ancestor but you will never find a twin sibling. Geology is really that messy - which is why it's practice is virtually unregulatable in the real world. Many of our respected geologists from the past wouldn't agree with most of the current geological theories, classifications and practices. There is no unified geological classification system - each geologist users their own terms and notation when they study a geological structure.

Here's an example from the registration board in Arizona. As you can see even when there is registration unless there is fraud or misrepresentation involved it's ultimately up to the profession itself to set standards.

When it comes to weights, standards and measures there is a great need for regulation. Professions like surveying, assaying and compounding really are very quantifiable outside of the profession itself. Surveyors shouldn't be able to independently determine the length of a chain and assayers shouldn't be able to reclassify elements or redefine the chemistry of a process. I don't think you want your pharmacist independently determining what drug mix to use in your prescribed medication.

Legislators are notoriously unable to make good decisions about protecting the health and welfare of the public but you as an individual can help determine just how incompetent your legislators are. In my opinion Arizona voters could do a better job and maybe pay closer attention to what their congresscritters are up to. Here's a recent example from Arizona.

I don't sweat the registration issue with geologists. I work with a lot of geologists and most of the more successful ones are a bit loony. Relax enjoy the ride and listen closely to what your Colorado un registered geologist has to say. You just might learn something. Or not.