Engineers Responsibilities to the Environment: a Utilitarian Point of View

Engineering Ethics

Engineers Responsibilities to the Environment;

A Utilitarian Point of View

The role of engineers has, and always will, leave a hug impact on the environment. Whether it be from materials engineers use for a product which pollutes more than an alternative material, or an engineering disaster due to poor material choice, the engineer’s decision will impact the environment one way or another. In chapter 12 of Environmental Ethics DesJardins describes a sustainable engineering practice as, “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (260). In regards to this sustainable practice, DesJardins outlines “the three Pillars of Sustainability”; Society, the environment, and the economy.

In consideration of the three pillars of sustainability, the environment is one extreme of the spectrum where as the economy is the other extreme. It is common unfortunately that the environment is overlooked due to the fact that people’s greed leaves them caught up in profits as a pose to sustainability. It is due to the fact that we now live in a materialistic society that puts excess pressure on engineers. Ethically engineers have an environmental responsibility, but have a responsibility to their employers as well. Their employer expects them to maximize profits and put their financial responsibilities first and environmental responsibilities second. This results in overlooking environmental responsibilities altogether as well as the steady decline in our biosphere.

The biosphere has been the one slowly paying the price of our ignorance. Whether it is from the CO2 emissions from automobiles, the dumping of toxic waste, or even landfills, Mother Nature and the biosphere which we all share and inhabit is being killed slowly. This issue has finally been acknowledged as a serious issue in society as the realization hits more and more people that if the biosphere continues to deteriorate as it is,...