Sustaining engineering: Codes of Ethics for the 21st Century

Sustaining Engineering Codes of Ethics for the

21st century

Diane Michelfelder -- Philosophy Macalester CollegeSharon A. Jones -- Engineering

Lafayette CollegefPET 2010

6 Fundamental Canons & Rules of Practice (NSPE)Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall:

1. Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.

2. Perform services only in areas of their competence.

3. Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.

4. Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.

5. Avoid deceptive acts.

6. Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation, and usefulness of the profession.

2. Engineers shall at all times strive to serve the public interest.a)Engineers are encouraged to participate in civic affairs; career guidance for

youths; and work for the advancement of the safety, health, and well-being of their community.

b)Engineers shall not complete, sign, or seal plans and/or specifications that are not in conformity with applicable engineering standards. If the client or employer insists on such unprofessional conduct, they shall notify the proper authorities and withdraw from further service on the project.

c)Engineers are encouraged to extend public knowledge and appreciation of engineering and its achievements.

d)Engineers are encouraged to adhere to the principles of sustainable development

9 Professional Obligations (NSPE)

4 Fundamental Principles (ASCE)Engineers uphold and advance the integrity, honor and dignity of the engineering profession by:a. using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare and the environment;b. being honest and impartial and serving with fidelity the public, their employers and clients;c. striving to increase the competence and prestige of the engineering profession; and d. supporting the professional and technical societies of their disciplines. a. 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. b. Engineers shall perform services only in areas of their competence.c. Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.d. Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of interest.e. Engineers shall build their professional reputation on the merit of their services and shall not compete unfairly with others.f. Engineers shall act in such a manner as to uphold and enhance the honor, integrity, and dignity of the engineering profession and shall act with zero-tolerance for bribery, fraud, and corruption.g. Engineers shall continue their professional development throughout their careers, and shall provide opportunities for the professional development of those engineers under their supervision.

7 Fundamental Canons (ASCE)

• No consensus on the meaning of sustainability

• Sustainability is redundant with the Code

• Sustainability is outside of the “paramountcy clause” and thus devalued

The debate centers around three issues …

We suggest that…from a justice framework,

the addition of a commitment to sustainability within the engineering codes of ethics is necessary and is

neither redundant nor of lesser value.

• Define sustainability in terms of engineered systems

• Frame sustainability as a justice

• Propose that to be “sustained”, sustainability goes beyond mere inclusion in professional obligations; instead it requires integrating personal with professional virtues

Sustainable development is ‘development which meets the needs of the present

without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’

1987, United Nations Brundtland Report

Engineers are encouraged to adhere to the principles of sustainable development not sustainability.

Sustainability [engineering] is the design of human and industrial

systems to ensure humankind’s use of natural resources and cycles do not lead to diminished quality of life due either to losses in future economic opportunities or to adverse impacts on social conditions, human health,

and the environment. (Mihelcic et. al., 2003)

• Economic opportunities

• Social conditions

• Human & environmental health

The Needs

Present Best Solution

Select Best Solution

Analyze Possible Solutions

Develop Alternative Solutions

Establish Criteria & Constraints

Narrow Research

Conduct Research

Identify Need

The Engineering Design Process

Want

Techniques to include costs and environmental/health impacts are

often aggregate

• Cost – CBA

• Environmental health impact -- LCA

• Human health impact -- risk assessment

Cost

Environmental Health

Human Health

Social & Economic

Opportunities

One approach to avoid disproportional impacts is to examine

how various subpopulations are affected

Environmental Justice GuidanceNational Environmental Policy

Act (NEPA):

ScopingPublic Participation

Determining the Affected EnvironmentAlternativesMitigation

Record of Decision

What does it mean to think of sustainability as a justice concept?

EPA definition of environmental justice

stresses

design that avoids disproportional impacts and allows all affected groups equal access to decision-

making.

What does it mean to think of sustainability as a justice concept?

“Place and time do not provide a morally

relevant basis on which to differentiate the

weight to be given to the interests of

different people”

—Brian Barry

How to best distribute social goods within a Rawlsian framework?

• One possibility would be to use the principle of utility -- to maximize (aggregate) anticipated value

• Another possibility would be to use the maximin principle -- to maximize the least worse outcome

• Rawls believes that when determining principles of justice in an ideal society, those making the determination would use maximin over maximizing anticipated value as a principle of rational choice.

Now that we have a better handle on definitions, is sustainability redundant with the Code?

• In considering how engineering projects affect the public’s health, safety, and welfare, aggregate impacts are often the ones taken into account.

• In some sense, integrating sustainability into engineering projects represents an additional constraint, but if sustainability is a normative concept then it represents, however defined, a moral vision as well.

Sustaining sustainability within the Code ... requires the integration of professional with personal virtues:

“For social change to occur, it is important that there be people of integrity and character who can act on the basis of

principles and ideas”

--Dale Jamieson, “Ethics, Public Policy, and Global Warming”

Social change in the context of thinking sustainability as a

justice concept rests on social virtues

Honesty

Adding sustainability to the paramountcy clause would expand the place of honesty within professional

codes of engineering.Courage

TrustCourage

OpennessHumili

tyand

others...

Your feedback is most welcome

fPET-2010

Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and the [just] sustainable design of human and industrial systems in the performance of their professional duties.