LAWS 1038-24F Lecture 3 - Ethical Duties and the Environment PDF

ETHICS LAW 1038-24F Ethical Duties and the Environment 1 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Ethical Duties and the Environment Learning Outcomes: Identify different environmental hazards and patt...

ETHICS LAW 1038-24F Ethical Duties and the Environment 1 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Ethical Duties and the Environment Learning Outcomes: Identify different environmental hazards and patterns of degradation that result from industrial activity. Describe the legislative mechanisms that attempt to reduce environmental harm in Canada. Evaluate appropriate professional responses for select environmental and ethical problems. Key Terms include: Acid Rain Greenhouse Effect Externalities Canadian Environmental Protection Act Development Guides CH4 Methane NO2 Nitrogen Dioxide O3 Ozone CFC’s Chlorofluorocarbons 2 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Environmental Protection Each Code of Ethics will consider an employee’s Duty to Society and rank it ahead of personal gain. The Duty to Society frequently addresses issues related to the environment. Two obvious problems that have accompanied the industrialization of society include the proliferation of machine-made hazards and the degradation of the environment. 3 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Proliferation of Machine-Made Hazards Industrial processes often have negative side effects. For example, a manufacturing process might include hazardous by-products or toxic chemicals such as the waste from nuclear power generation. As industrial activity continues to expand, these negative side effects continue to increase. Careless disposal of industrial waste products can result, and has resulted in, water pollution, smog, and acid rain. Acid Rain is rainfall made sufficiently acidic by atmospheric pollution that causes environmental harm, typically to forests and lakes. The main cause of Acid Rain is the industrial burning of coal and other fossil fuels, the waste gases from which contain sulphur and nitrogen oxides that combine with water in the atmosphere to form acids. 4 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Degradation of the Environment Maintaining the preferred lifestyle that citizens of industrialized nations have become accustomed to requires the use of energy and natural resources and the consumption of fossil fuels. These can have significant impacts on the environment. For example, the depletion of natural forests and other natural amenities can lead to habitat destruction and the ambient air pollution can produce greenhouse gases contributing to the Greenhouse Effect. The Greenhouse Effect is the trapping of the sun’s warmth in the earth’s lower atmosphere, due to the greater transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation from the sun than to infrared radiation emitted from the planet’s surface. Watch the following Greenhouse Effect video here. 5 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Degradation of the Environment 6 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Degradation of the Environment (cont’d) Both habitat destruction and the Greenhouse Effect are Externalities. An Externality is a cost that affects a party who did not choose to incur that cost. Externalities often occur when a product or service’s price equilibrium cannot reflect the true cost of that product or service. The most common pollution-causing products and services include: energy, industry, and agriculture. The following infographic illustrates the countries and their products and services that cause the most pollution that contributes to the Greenhouse Effect. 7 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Degradation of the Environment (cont’d) Image Source: johannes-friedrich.com 8 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Degradation of the Environment (cont’d) The 70’s were a period of awakening to the reality of the costly effect of pollution. Several key events took place which raised the profile of environmental issues. In Canada, in 1981, scientists discovered very small amounts of dioxins, the most deadly man-made chemicals, in the Great Lakes. Dioxins, are a by-product of agricultural products and the degradation of chemical waste. Something needed to be done… 9 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Canadian Environmental Protection Act The Canadian Government responded by passing the Canadian Environmental Protection Act in 1988. The legislation aimed to provide governance over the “assessment and management of chemical substances”. The Act has two primary purposes: 1. To protect the environment, health, and well-being of Canadians. 2. To sustainably prevent pollution and address the potentially dangerous chemical substances to which we might be exposed. Source: Government of Canada (1999) The Canadian Environmental Protection Act: Canada’s Approach to Chemicals https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/chemical-substances/canada- approach-chemicals/canadian-environmental-protection-act-1999.html The legislation was updated in 1999 to strengthen and broaden some of the protections. The full text of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act is available here and in the links above. 11 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Reporting and Action The Canadian Environmental Protection Act produces an annual report which provides an overview of the key accomplishments and results achieved by the Act for a given year. The report is organized into 11 parts: administration, public participation, information gathering, objectives, guidelines and codes of practice, pollution prevention, controlling toxic substances, animate products and biotechnology, controlling pollution and managing wastes, environmental emergencies, government operations, Federal and Aboriginal land, enforcement, and miscellaneous matters. 12 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Reporting and Action (cont’d) Each part contains an introductory section on the new provisions of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and a description of the key results achieved under the part. 13 Image Source: Canadian Environmental Protection Act annual report 2015 to 2016: chapter 1 https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/canadian-environmental-protection-act- registry/publications/annual-report-2015-2016/chapter-1.html Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  The Development of Guidelines for Environmental Protection Different professional associations in Canada produce documents referred to as Development Guides. These Development Guides are designed to accompany professional associations’ Codes of Ethics and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. The incorporate the following principles: 1. Education: develop and understand a reasonable level of understanding of environmental issues. 2. Interdisciplinary Approach: utilize appropriate expertise to address environmental issues. 3. Professional Judgement: apply professional and responsible judgement in environmental considerations. 4. Integration: ensure environmental planning and management are integrates into all activities that are likely to have adverse environmental impacts. 5. Environmental Cost Assessment: include costs of environmental protection and/or remediation in project evaluations. 6. Pollution Prevention and Waste Management: recognize the value of waste minimization and endeavour to eliminate waste at production sources. 7. Cooperation with Public Authorities: cooperate in an open manner and strive to respond to environmental concerns in a timely fashion. 8. Cooperation with Others: encouraged to work actively with others to improve understanding and practices. 14 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Regulators The Canadian Environmental Protection Act highlights four specific areas of concern for regulators: 1. Air Pollution Caused By: Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) and Nitrogen Oxide (NO2) Solution: Scrubbers and Material Substitution 2. Waste Disposal Caused By: Leachate Solution: Waste Diversion 3. Acid Rain Caused By: Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) and Elevated PH Levels Solution: Emission Reductions and Prohibition 4. Water Pollution Caused By: Fertilizers, Organic Waste, and Toxic Chemicals Solution: Testing and Regulation, Ambient Standards, and Technology Solutions 15 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Global Climate Change While all of these problems require specific and localized harm reduction strategies, some problems are more global in scope. Growing science points to a steady increase in average surface temperatures on earth that is due to the continued burning of fossil fuels. The Greenhouse Effect is exacerbated by the emission of greenhouse gases including Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Ozone (O3), and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s). If the amount of CO2 were to double, the average surface temperature could increase by 3 or 4 degrees Celsius which would have severe consequences. Even the slightest increases in surface temperature would cause significant climate change. Some of the predictions by researchers include: Global temperatures in the year 2050 will be higher than at any time in the last 150,000 years. There will be significant rises in sea levels which will lead to the flooding of low lying areas. Increased evaporation may cause significant decreases in the levels of lakes and reservoirs. Global warming will not be uniform in either space or time. Warming will be more intense over land than over sea and will be greatest in the northern hemisphere during winter. 16 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé Lecture 3  How Much Risk is Acceptable? We can’t eliminate risks and we can’t compressively solve complex problems like climate change. Engineers, technologists, scientists, and numerous other professionals may not be able to alleviate these or other problems caused by society but they can work to ensure the protection of the environment, to ensure the efficient use of resources, and to reduce environmental hazards. Harm reduction strategies will depend on the level of risk involved. 18 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Risk Assessment According to the Government of Canada’s risk assessment of chemical substances: Substances, such as chemicals, polymers, and products of biotechnology, have many different properties and many different uses. Some are used to make plastics flexible. Some help to put out fires quickly and efficiently. Some are products of common chemical reactions that occur naturally in the environment. Still others are present in products that we use as part of our day-to-day activities such as shampoos, floor cleaners, clothing fabrics, and children’s toys. In the same way that substances have different uses, some can also be harmful in different ways. For instance, some may harm fish while some are linked to life threatening diseases such as cancer. Others may be carried long distances through the air and affect people and the environment far away. Source: Government of Canada (1999) Risk Assessment of Chemical Substances https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/chemical-substances/canada-approach-chemicals/risk-assessment.html 19 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Risk Assessment According to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, a substance will be considered toxic (high risk) if it has the following properties: 1.It may have an immediate or long-term harmful effect on the environment or its biological diversity; 2.It may constitute a danger to the environment on which life depends; and, 3.It may constitute a danger in Canada to human life or health. 20 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Elevated Risk When working on projects where moderate risks exist, the safety of the public can usually be guaranteed simply by using established methods and accepted factors of safety. For new or untested processes, the potential for disaster must be rigidly controlled and consideration given to the potential for all possible hazards. However, before using the recommended reporting process (specified by various professional organizations) it is recommended that the following three points be considered: 1. Informal Resolution: In a vast majority of cases, clear communication is all that is required. One must ensure that the informal internal solution is followed before resorting to more formal external options. 2. Confidentiality: If it necessary to report an individual to a governing body, the report should be made to the appropriate people and not released to any others such as the media. 3. Retaliation: The reporting of illegal, unethical, or unsafe acts does not constitute just cause for retaliation by an employer. The individual concerned can file a lawsuit if necessary. 21 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Risk Reporting Depending on the specific professional requirements, there may be a duty to report actions that are dangerous or unethical. The following is the Professional Engineer’s of Ontario’s Environmental Guidelines: 22 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Risk Reporting (cont’d) 23 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé Source: peo.on.ca  Sustainable Development “It is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” Excerpt of “our common future” WCED 1987 24 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  25 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Conclusion We’ve considered how industrial activity causes pollution and environmental degradation. We’ve looked at the policy responses offered by the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (1999) The Act provides a framework for assessing risk and eliminating harm. It also informs the Codes of Ethics and environmental responsibility for various professional associations. When working on projects with a potential risk to the public, it is imperative to have an awareness of your full responsibilities and duties to report. 26 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé  Next Week We’ll continue with Product Safety, Quality Assurance and Reliability. Don’t forget to submit your Self-Reflection in its respective Drop Box no later than 06:00 pm (18:00 hour) on 8th September for Section 04 and 10th September for Section 02. 27 Lecture 3 G.R. Labbé