It was with interest that I noted the reaction to Emeritus Professor Lance Endersbee's article (Engineers Australia April). The mere fact that national president Julie Hammer felt the need to defend his right to free speech is concerning (Engineers Australia, May). As engineers we understand that vigorous debate and dissenting opinion is essential to the success of any project. We are too well aware of the disasters that have occurred when alternate views were suppressed and groupthink became the norm.rnWith the advent of satellites and greatly improved computing capacity over the past 20 years the quantity and quality of information available to analyse the impact of human civilisation on the earth has increased significantly. We are in a new world of information available not only to scientists and engineers but the populace at large.rnThe climate debate is now less scientific and more political with less tolerance for those who present dissenting opinions. Within Engineers Australia those opinions must be allowed to flourish to ensure that we lead the debate and do not become followers or devotees.
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