ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS

By
M. NAGAVARSHINI (312214121034)

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 INTRODUCTION
We are all aware of the importance of Environment for our own well being.

Much of our life is spent on coping with it, enjoying it or escaping from it, without even
bothering about the impact of our behavior on the environment.

We had been assuming that “the environment could and look after itself”.

We have safely ignored or escaped from the negative impacts of our lifestyle on the world.

Save the environment for the future generation.

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 INTRODUCTION
But now the environmental issues are becoming inescapably obvious

• Acid rain has devastating effect on the forest, agriculture and water resources.

• Great lake basin has become a repository for many of the deadly chemicals.

• Energy resources are depleted.

• Nuclear power which was once a future source of unlimited and inexpensive energy
has become a source of serious concern because of the threats of leak accident and the
problem of storing it’s waste.

• Long term hazards of uranium mine.

• The soil and the forest are severely depleted.

• Many animal life are extinct and endangered.

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 WHAT IS IT ?

ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS

It is a conscious effort to protect the environment and to maintain its stability from the
hazardous pollutants.

It is the study to explore the ethical roots of the environmental movement and to
understand what ethics tells us about our responsibilities to the environment.

What can environmental ethics do for us ?

Whatever ethics can do for the non environmental concern,

Environmental ethics can do for the environmental concern.

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ENGINEERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
• Engineers are the creators of the technology.

• We contribute to the environmental degradation as well as the environmental

improvement.

• So we should have a professional obligation to protect the environment.

• We are the agents of change and experimenters and have a vital role in the protection of
the environment.

CONCERN OF ENGINEERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT:

Health related concern - Engineers have concern for the environment when the
environmental pollution causes the direct threat to health.

Non health related concern - Engineers have concern for the environment when human
wealth is directly affected.

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 ENGINEER’s CONCERN
While choosing a career or taking up a new assignment or job, every engineer should ask
himself the following ethical questions associated with the environment.

• To what extent a particular industry affect the environment?

• How far such ill effects can be controlled physically and/or politically?

• What is the reasonable protective measure available for immediate implementation?

• In what way, I can be an effective engineer in ensuring the safety and clean
environment?

• What is my responsibility in this regard?

• Do I belong to nature or does nature belong to me?

• If animals can suffer and feel pain like humans, should I have moral standing?

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 PROFESSIONAL CODE OF ETHICS
• The Codes Of American Society For Civil Engineers (ASCE)

Engineers should be committed to improving the environment by adherence to the

principles of sustainable development so as to enhance the quality of life of the general
public.

• The Codes Of The Institute Of The Electrical And Electronics Engineer (IEEE)

Engineers should accept the responsibility of making decisions consistent with the safety,
health and welfare of the public, and to disclose promptly the factors that might endanger
the public or the environment.

• The Codes Of American Society Of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

Engineers shall consider the environmental impact in the performance of their

professional duties.

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RESOLVING ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM
Dilemma between the protection of environment and the cost of the products designed.

The approaches that can be applied to resolve this problem are:

• Cost oblivious approach

Priority is given to the protection of the environment than the cost of the product
designed by the engineers. It does not accept or tolerate any environmental
degradation. It satisfies the concept of duty ethic. It is difficult to sustain and enforce in
urbanized society.

• Cost benefits based approach

This problem is analyzed in terms of the benefits derived by reducing the pollution and
cost required to solve the problem. It is derived from the concept of utilitarianism. The
objective is not to achieve a completely clean environment, but to achieve an
economically beneficial balance of pollution with health or environmental considerations.

DRAWBACKS: It is difficult to determine the true cost of human life and accurately
assess cost and benefits.
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 INTERNALIZING COST OF ENVIRONMENTAL
DEGRADATION
The cost of the product includes

• Direct labor cost

• Direct material cost

• Direct expenses

• Factory expenses

• Administrative expenses

• Selling and distributing expenses

INDIRECT FACTORS:

• Effect of pollution

• Depletion of energy and raw materials

In order to determine the true cost of the product all these costs should be internalized. i.e added to the price.
It should be realized that good engineering process can provide the answers to protect the environment
without any addition of real cost.

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 TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
• It is a study of social and environmental effects of technology in various areas like
nuclear war and pollution.

• According to economist Robert Theobald, engineers tend to find right answers to

wrong questions and also emphasize that the university curriculum should be based on
finding right answers to right questions.

• Engineers should distill the information collected through normative, conceptual and
factual enquiries while conducting experiments. They should use funnel for distilling
and applying knowledge to design and build the engineering projects.

• They should also explore the extent of effects and prioritize the possible adverse
effects.

• Even after implementing the project, continuous monitoring should be performed to

ensure the safe and clean environment.

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 PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS OF NATURE
Sentient centered ethics

• All conscious beings have intrinsic value

• It acknowledges the inherent worth of all sentient animals. Sentient animals are those
that feel pain and pleasure and have desires.

• It emphasizes on the moral judgements taking into account the effects of our actions on
sentient animals. For example: while constructing a dam, engineers should consider the
impact on animals living there. The sentient animals need not be treated in identical
way to humans, but their interest should be weighed equally with human interests
while making decisions.

• These conscious creatures have inherent worth not only because they can feel pleasure
and pain, but also because they are subjects of experiences who have belief, memory,
intentions, preferences and can act purposefully.

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 PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS OF NATURE
Bio centric ethics

It recognizes all living organisms as having inherent worth. All organisms have
reverence for life to survive and to develop.

Eco centric ethics

It emphasizes inherent value in ecological systems. A thing is right when it tends

to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community.

Human centered environmental ethics

Only human beings have intrinsic value.

• Virtue ethics
• Right ethics
• Duty ethics
• Utilitarianism
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 PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS OF NATURE

Anthropocentricism versus biocentrism

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 CASE STUDY
Bhopal gas tragedy

Neduvasal hydrocarbon project

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 CASE STUDY – BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY
A property is something that can be owned and transferred to others. Ownership, Transfer
of Ownership

Anything fixed to the ground is Immovable Property.

Others are Movable

Movable: table, chair, watch, book

Immovable : Land, House, Mines

Intellectual property is a property that results from mental labor.

Obtained from the activities of human intellect.

It derives its original value from the creative idea with a commercial value.

It is a patented invention, a trade secret or copyrighted material.

It is an assert which can be bought, sold, licensed and exchanged.

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FAULT TREE ANALYSIS

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FAULT TREE ANALYSIS

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FAULT TREE ANALYSIS

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FAULT TREE ANALYSIS

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THANK YOU

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