GENG215 HW1 Spring 2025 PDF

## GENG215, HW1 Spring 2025, Submission: By midnight of 12-Feb. 2025 - **Name:** - **Section no:** - **ID:** ### Ethical and Environmental Dilemmas in Wildfire Extinguishing Using Fire Retardant - A large wildfire broke out near a city, quickly spreading due to strong winds and dry trees. Emerge...

## GENG215, HW1 Spring 2025, Submission: By midnight of 12-Feb. 2025 - **Name:** - **Section no:** - **ID:** ### Ethical and Environmental Dilemmas in Wildfire Extinguishing Using Fire Retardant - A large wildfire broke out near a city, quickly spreading due to strong winds and dry trees. Emergency engineers deployed aircraft to drop red fire retardants over homes and forests to extinguish the fire and prevent destruction. This method successfully slowed the fire, saving lives and property. - However, once the fire was under control, concerns arose. The chemical runoff from the fire retardant contaminated nearby rivers and lakes, leading to fish deaths and potential risks to drinking water supplies. Residents were wondering about the safety of using such chemicals in firefighting - Additionally, firefighters and nearby residents experienced breathing problems and skin irritation, raising concerns about the long-term health effects of exposure to the fire retardant. While engineers assured the public that the chemicals were approved for use, they admitted that large-scale health and environmental impacts had not been fully studied. - This led to a major ethical debate. Engineers defended their actions, arguing that quickly extinguishing the fire was the top priority and that any side effects were unintended. On the other hand, environmental engineers claimed that alternative methods, such as firebreaks and controlled burns, could have reduced the fire without using harmful chemicals. - With growing public concerns, legal action was considered against the fire management agency and the manufacturer of the fire retardant. Should there be stricter regulations and more research on the environmental and health effects of wildfire extinguishing methods? - This case raises important ethical questions about balancing immediate safety with long-term environmental responsibility. ### Answer the following 10 questions: 1. Was using fire retardant an ethical decision to extinguish the fire? 2. Did engineers consider the environmental impact before using retardant? 3. Who should be responsible for health issues caused by the retardant? 4. Were alternative fire-extinguishing strategies ignored? 5. What ethical responsibilities do emergency agencies have when selecting fire extinguishing methods? 6. How should engineers balance the urgent need to extinguish fires with long-term environmental risks? 7. Should the producer of fire retardants conduct more studies on environmental and health risks? 8. Do you think there should be stricter regulations on using fire retardants? 9. How can future wildfire extinguishing efforts be more effective and environmentally responsible? 10. Should the affected residents discuss with engineers how wildfires are extinguished in their region? ### Notes: - Changing the PDF format to a Word file is Not accepted - Answers should be within the Frame. - One hour delay beyond the submission deadline results in a 50% penalty. More than a day is not accepted. - Copy-paste from others will result in a zero grade.