Transcript Engineering Ethics and Climate Change

Energy Ethics:
Issues and Guides
Joseph R. Herkert
Lincoln Associate Professor of
Ethics and Technology
SLS & CSPO
What is Ethics?
The rules and ideals
for human behavior.
They tell us what we
ought to do.
Wujek and Johnson 1992
Microethics and Macroethics
in Engineering
Microethics is concerned with ethical decision
making by individuals and the internal relations
of the engineering profession.
Macroethics refers to the collective social
responsibility of the engineering profession and
to societal decisions about technology.
Some Micro and Macro Issues in
Science and Engineering Ethics
Scientific
Research
Engineering
Practice
Integrity of Data Health & Safety
Microethics
Fair Credit
Bribes & Gifts
Human
Cloning
Sustainable
Development
Dual-use
Technology
Autonomous
Robots
Macroethics
What is an ethical issue?
An issue that involves a conflict of interests or
values of different individuals or organizations.
Genetics Education Partnership
When there's a conflict between two or more
parties where one is benefiting at the expense of
another.
Philosophical Dialogues
Moral Issues In Risk Assessment
• Overlapping of political or
normative judgments with
scientific judgments
• Manipulation of risk assessments to legitimize
risky technologies
• "Value of life"
• Imposition of risks upon others, particularly
those less empowered
• Distribution of risks and consequences across
geopolitical, cultural, or generational
boundaries
Source: Herkert 1994
Climate Change and Ethics
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Scientific Uncertainty (Red Herring)
“…the really vital issue does not concern the presence of scientific
uncertainty, but rather how we decide what to do under such
circumstances.”
Economics
Social discount rate
Some costs and benefits not accounted for
Adaptation vs. Abatement
Risk Management/Precautionary Principle
Harm to Future Generations
Responsibility for Past Emissions
Allocating Future Emissions
Global (In)Action
International Justice
Intergenerational Justice
Gardiner 2004
Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Ethical Issues
Utilitarianism
“Greatest good for the greatest number”
Focus is on Consequences
Problems: What is “good”?
Does not necessarily consider
distribution of “good”
Duty Ethics
Based on duties or obligations regardless of
consequences
Kant: Do not treat people
as merely a means to an end
Often regarded as flip side of “Rights Ethics”
(together sometimes called “Respect for
Persons”)
Problem: What to do when duties conflict?
Guides for Ethical Conduct and
Decision-making
Codes of Ethics
Statements of Principles
Engineering Codes: Paramountcy Clause
ASME Code of Ethics of Engineers (2006)
Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of
the public in the performance of their professional duties.
AIChE Code of Ethics (2003)
Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and
protect the environment in performance of their professional
duties.
ASCE Code of Ethics (2006)
Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of
the public and shall strive to comply with the principles of
sustainable development in the performance of their professional
duties.
IEEE Code of Ethics (2006)
…to accept responsibility in making engineering decisions
consistent with the safety, health and welfare of the public, and to
disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or the
environment…
The Universal Declaration
of Human Rights
Article 25 (1) :
Everyone has the right to a standard of living
adequate for the health and well-being of himself
and of his family, including food, clothing,
housing and medical care and necessary social
services, and the right to security in the event of
unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood,
old age or other lack of livelihood in
circumstances beyond his control.
Energy Codes of Ethics
Association of Energy Engineers Code of Ethics
for Energy Engineers and Managers (2012)
Solar Energy Industries Association
Code of Ethics (2010)
Nuffield Council on Bioethics (2011)
A number of overlapping moral values form the
basis of an ethical framework that can inform
society‘s approach towards biofuels. These are:
rights and global justice;
solidarity and the common good;
stewardship, sustainability and intergenerational
equity.
Nuffield Principles (2011)
i. Biofuels development should not be at the expense of people‘s
essential rights (including access to sufficient food and water, health
rights, work rights and land entitlements).
ii. Biofuels should be environmentally sustainable.
iii. Biofuels should contribute to a net reduction of total greenhouse
gas emissions and not exacerbate global climate change.
iv. Biofuels should develop in accordance with trade principles that
are fair and recognise the rights of people to just reward (including
labour rights and intellectual property rights).
v. Costs and benefits of biofuels should be distributed in an
equitable way.
vi. If the first five Principles are respected and if biofuels can play a
crucial role in mitigating dangerous climate change then, depending
on additional key considerations, there is a duty to develop such
biofuels.
Modified Nuffield Principles
i. Energy development should not be at the expense of people‘s
essential rights (including access to sufficient food and water, health
rights, work rights and land entitlements).
ii. Energy development should be environmentally sustainable.
iii. Energy development should contribute to a net reduction of total
greenhouse gas emissions and not exacerbate global climate
change.
iv. Energy should be developed in accordance with trade principles
that are fair and recognise the rights of people to just reward
(including labour rights and intellectual property rights).
v. Costs and benefits of energy development should be distributed
in an equitable way.
vi. If the first five Principles are respected then, depending on
additional key considerations, there is a duty to develop energy.
Perrow: Normal Accidents
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System components: Design, Equipment, Procedures, Operators,
Supplies & Materials, and Environment (DEPOSE)
Systems characterized by their degree of complexity and coupling
• System interactions can be described on a continuum from linear
to complex
• System coupling can be described on a continuum from loose to
tight
“System accident" (aka "normal accident"): an "unanticipated
interaction of multiple failures"
Systems that are both highly complex and tightly coupled are prone
to system accidents. "Complex interactions" in the system make it
difficult for the operators to understand what is going on during an
accident; "tight coupling" makes it difficult to recover from failures
since they tend to accumulate very quickly.
Interactions & Coupling