Bursic 2:00
L01
THE ETHICAL DILEMMA OF ENGINEERS: CORRUPTION VS. INTEGRITY
Rachel Dunn (rad95@pitt.edu)
INTRODUCTION
Fresh out of college and ready to take on the world, I
embarked on my career working for a geothermal energy
company. Geothermal energy is a type of renewable energy
resource that utilizes the heat of the Earth in order to regulate
building temperatures. The natural heat of the Earth warms
the water contained underneath the surface. This water “is
extracted at the surface by a heat pump and used to heat the
building. The cooled circulating fluid is reinjected into the
ground where it absorbs heat and completes the cycle. In
cooling mode, the system is reversed with heat taken out of
the building and transferred to the ground via the heat pump
and circulating fluid” [1]. This circulating fluid allows the
system to be used all year since the heat of earth changes with
the season. Due to the abundance of water stored beneath the
surface of the earth and the renewability of the heat source,
the field of geothermal energy was attracting attention.
Over the following year, I worked hard in order to establish
my value in the company. Eventually, I was promoted to
oversee the implementation of the geothermal energy heat
pumps in buildings across the country. The number of
systems inserted across America significantly increased and
the company I was working for was rapidly expanding their
business, causing unrest in the dominant electric companies.
These electric companies became concerned about their
profits and started scheming of ways to dismantle their new
competitors.
While working on a contract with a very large, prominent
company, news leaked out of their intention to switch their
energy systems in all of their American buildings to
geothermal pumps. If this influential company utilized the
pumps and publicly supported further implementation of the
systems, the electric companies would face a significant
decrease in the demand of electricity. The electric companies
were aware of the environmental benefits the geothermal
energy systems provided; therefore, they realized the only
way for the energy systems to lose popularity was if they
malfunctioned. In order to prevent conversion from electricity
to geothermal energy, the chief executive officer of one of the
major electrical energy providers contacted me, and offered
me a large sum of money to cause the geothermal systems to
deliberately fail. In addition, success in this endeavor would
result in employment with his company.
As a young employee straight out of college beginning to
build her life, I began to consider the offer. The money was
more than enough to pay off my student loans, and I could
save the excess for a down payment on my first home.
However, I was forced to face the question of ethics. Was this
proposal ethical? Did the benefits of the offer outweigh the
costs? Was it worth it to jeopardize my job, my reputation,
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering 1
2013-10-29
and my credibility as an engineer for the monetary benefits?
Was I willing to go against my moral beliefs for wealth?
In order to answer the question of ethics, I was forced to
reflect on my own beliefs. If I was offered anything besides
money would I take it? I realized the answer was no, so why
should I have been considering this proposition? The
engineering Codes of Ethics were essential to me; therefore,
they were reflected in my actions. As an engineer, I attempted
to conduct my business in an honorable and honest way in
order to uphold the reputation of the profession. Since I was
conflicted about the dilemma, I resolved to consult these
Codes, as well as other resources, in order to make an
educated decision.
ETHICAL RESOURCES TO INFLUENCE
MY DECISION
Ethics in engineering is a constant issue due to the amount
of responsibility placed on engineers. “Fostering
Argumentation While Solving Engineering Ethics Problems”
is an article published in the Journal of Engineering
Education that investigated engineering students’
perspectives on ethics in engineering. The article stated,
“engineering ethics problems are ill-structured, meaning there
is no single, unambiguous and correct answer. Rather, illstructured problems, like ethics decisions, typically have
multiple solutions that may be based on multiple criteria for
evaluating those solutions…” [2]. Due to the unambiguity of
ethics, each ethical dilemma can incur a different result. This
article helped me identify why I was struggling with the
situation; there is not one correct answer that can be used to
solve every ethical problem.
As a professional engineer, I strived to work and live by
the engineering Codes of Ethics. Each society of professional
engineers, as well as the overall National Society of
Professional Engineers (NSPE), enforces a code of ethics to
minimize the unethical behavior in engineering. During my
internal debate about the scheme, I consulted the Codes of
Ethics of the National Society of Professional Engineers and
the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). According
to the NSPE’s Code of Ethics, “engineering has a direct and
vital impact on the quality of life for all people. Accordingly,
the services provided by engineers require honesty,
impartiality, fairness, and equity, and must be dedicated to the
protection of the public health, safety, and welfare” [3]. The
Society recognized the impact engineers have on society and
the life of people prior to the fundamental canons of the Code
of Ethics. In order to minimize the corruption of engineers,
they force engineers to acknowledge their responsibility in the
opening statement. In addition, under the fourth canon, NSPE
stated, “engineers shall not solicit or accept financial or other
Rachel Dunn
valuable consideration directly or indirectly, from outside
agents in connection with the work for which they are
responsible” [3]. According to the Code, extortion of an
engineer is unethical, as well as the engineer accepting the
proposition. The ASCE’s Code of Ethics also acknowledged
bribery. Canon 6 of the ASCE’s Code of Ethics stated,
“Engineers shall act with zero-tolerance for bribery, fraud,
and corruption in all engineering or construction activities in
which they are engaged” [4]. Engineers impact people’s lives;
therefore, exploitation in engineering can cause severe
problems. A zero-tolerance for bribery allows engineers to act
in the best interest of their company and society, rather than
in the best interest of themselves.
Fraud and extortion, although more severe in the
profession of engineering, is present in every business
venture. In order to analyze the significance of the corruption
occurring in my situation, I researched other resources. The
article “Professional Virtue and Professional Self-Awareness:
A Case Study in Engineering Ethics” analyzed Aristotle’s
view of society and applied his findings to a person’s career.
When people see their work as a means to acquiring money
or power, they have the tendency to become corrupt or work
only towards receiving that dividend. Moreover, people start
to recognize the value of their work as the value it holds for
their own personal gains [5]. For instance, a person worked
towards receiving a promotion and valued his work based on
if he ultimately received the promotion. These tendencies in
human nature and psychology result in the lack of ethics and
morals. People become easily persuaded with power, money,
or a promotion rather than sticking to their values and beliefs.
In engineering, this is especially dangerous due to the impact
engineers have on the lives of others. This article clearly
portrayed to me the ethical issues that arise in business and
engineering when people place their desires above the vitality
of society.
After analyzing the article and evaluating the canons in the
engineering Code of Ethics, I was convinced that accepting
the bribe was unethical. As an engineer, it was necessary that
I held firm in my values and beliefs in order to establish the
best plausible outcome for society. My corruption would
directly affect people’s lives. Although the failure of the
geothermal energy systems would not cause any immediate
significant problems in society, the implementation of these
systems could significantly influence the future of
sustainability and the environment. However, the monetary
gain from the offer could considerably alter my personal life.
I was aware of the ethics of the situation, but should I ignore
the offer that could immediately impact my life? The question
I was then faced with was: should I be moral and stay true to
my beliefs, or should I be greedy and greatly affect my life?
environmental impact. Geothermal energy pumps are an ecofriendly alternative to current energy systems due to the
benefits they provide. Omer Ozyurt, a researcher at Ataturk
University in Turkey, examined the impact of vertical-ground
heat pump performance in the cold climate during the winter
season in Turkey. Ozyurt was investigating these systems
because “…the growth in global demand for energy has
played a key role in causing prices to rise dramatically. This
rise in demand has led to a 25% increase in greenhouse gas
emissions since 1990…” [6]. The amount of energy used by
the world will continue to increase, releasing more toxic
emissions into the environment. In order to prevent this, a new
type of energy resource is needed. Geothermal heat pumps are
a sustainable alternative: the pumps are entirely renewable
due to the continuous heat provided by the sun, which in turn
heats the water used in the system. Therefore, the system
discharges no harmful emissions since it is an entirely natural
process [7]. Derek Whitfield is the owner of Environmental
Drilling & Remediation Services (EDRS), a company
supporting the increasing implementation of geothermal
technologies. Whitfield discussed the importance of the
environmentally-friendly geothermal pumps and stated,
“replacing a gas furnace with a geothermal system in an
average home reduces greenhouse-gas emissions by about the
same amount as when two motor vehicles are removed from
the roads” [7]. A single house has enough potential to
significantly help the environment by utilizing these heat
pumps, while saving more money than conventional methods
over time.
The environmental benefits provided by these pumps are
extremely important in today’s metropolitan dominant
society. The executive director of the Geothermal Heat Pump
National and International Initiative, Jack DiEnna, stated
“buildings consume approximately 40 percent of the world’s
primary energy and are responsible for 40 percent of the
global carbon emissions” [8]. Attributable to the prominence
of metropolitan society, environment safe energy alternatives
are essential. Geothermal energy systems would significantly
reduce the carbon emissions in the atmosphere, as well as
significantly decrease the necessity of fossil-fuel energy
methods [9]. The heat pumps are benefactors to the
atmosphere and fossil fuels, creating a pronounced impact on
the environment.
In the 21st century, engineers have become increasingly
responsible for the sustainability of society. Over the past few
decades, the importance and awareness of environment
protection has led engineers to now face accountability for the
future of the planet. The goal of sustainability is to enhance
and improve the living standard of society without harming
the environment [10]. This objective of sustainability has
established environmental ethics in engineering. Engineers
must now strive to continue to find eco-friendly ways to
enrich society in an honest and forthright manner.
In order to be steadfast in my decision, I consulted two
more articles about ethics in engineering. Researchers at
Texas Tech University investigated the importance of
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY’S
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
In order to answer my question, I examined the importance
of geothermal energy systems in society and their
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Rachel Dunn
teaching ethics in engineering curriculums. Their published
article stated that environmental ethics are “necessary so that
the needs of the living beings of the present generation are
fulfilled without compromising the ability of the future
generation to meet their own needs…” [11]. Moreover, P.
Aarne Vesilind, a professor of Civil and Environmental
Engineering at Bucknell University, published an article
discussing the growing importance of engineering ethics with
respect to the environment. Vesilind stated, “engineering
societies such as ASCE, and individual engineers in practice,
have to figure out how to incorporate environmental concerns
into their ethical thinking and evaluation. The future of
engineering, and perhaps the future of the world, depends on
how successful they will be” [10]. It has become increasingly
necessary for engineers to claim responsibility for the future
of the planet. If engineers acted in a corrupt way and put their
own needs ahead of society’s needs, where would the world
be in twenty, fifty, or a hundred years?
greatly outweighed any amount of monetary or materialistic
subsidy I could have obtained. How, as an honorable engineer
and honest person, could I justify intentionally hurting the
environment? Moreover, how could I debase myself to go
against all of my beliefs and my ethics outlined in the
engineering Codes of Ethics? The answer to these questions
was I could not. I refused to lose my character and integrity
as a person and professional for a bribe. As a principled
person, I held the ethics outlined in the Codes to be my values
and beliefs; a sum of money was not going to alter my outlook
on life.
The ethical situation I experienced is, unfortunately, a
problem that occurs not only in engineering but also in all
businesses. However, one must remember that his or her
honor and integrity are more valuable than any amount of
money or objects. Honor and integrity are hard to recover
once lost, whereas money and materialistic items will always
be easily acquired. Therefore, when faced with an ethical
dilemma, one must return to his or her values and beliefs in
order to make a wise decision. I lived my life by the
engineering Codes of Ethics, so when I was forced to make
this decision, I consulted the values outlined in the Codes.
Since the future of society depends upon the decisions of the
engineers today, it is imperative they accept the responsibility
to change the world for the better, even when it does not
benefit them personally.
CONCLUSION
After researching and analyzing the situation, I was forced
to answer my questions about the proposition. The canons of
the Codes of Ethics clearly portrayed the illicit behavior of the
offer, forcing me to realize that deliberately causing the
geothermal systems to fail was unethical by nature. However,
the questions I now faced were: did the benefits of the bargain
surpass the costs, and was it worth it to jeopardize my job and
credibility as an engineer for the monetary benefits?
As I pondered about what I should do, I realized I had to
decide on what was more important to me as a person. Should
I stay moral and true to my beliefs, or should I be greedy and
greatly affect my life? The answer to this question varies from
person to person; however, I recognized that in my personal
life, morals and ethics outweighed all monetary and
materialistic rewards. I could not justify accepting a bribe
when I, as an engineer, was responsible for people’s lives and
the sustainability of our society. The NSPE’s Code of Ethics
stated, “engineers are encouraged to adhere to the principles
of sustainable development in order to protect the
environment for future generations” [3]. In a society
predominantly metropolitan, the carbon emissions from
current energy sources are massive [8]. The significant
damage caused by the carbon emissions established the
necessity of a new, cleaner alternative for the sustainability of
society. The geothermal energy systems were the answer to
this problem; therefore, how could I convince myself that the
benefits of this agreement would surpass the costs? Earning
extra money was not enough of a reason to forgo a possible
answer to the sustainability of our environment. The answer
was clear: the monetary gains of the offer did not outweigh
the environmental destruction.
Finally, I was forced to realize that it was not beneficial to
jeopardize my career as an engineer and my professional
credibility for any sum of money promised. My ethics and the
environmental impact of the geothermal energy systems
REFERENCES
[1] S. Colls, L. Johnston, G. Narsilio, et al. (2011). “Emerging
Geothermal Energy Technologies.” KSCE Journal of Civil
Engineering. (Online article). DOI: 10.1007/s12205-0110005-7. pp. 643-653.
[2] Y. Cho, D. Jonassen. (2011). “Fostering Argumentation
While Solving Engineering Ethics Problems.” Journal of
Engineering
Education.
(Online
article).
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1002/j.21689830.2011.tb00032.x/asset/j.21689830.2011.tb00032.x.pdf?v=1&t=hnb2vdr5&s=76051990b7
a355c3f91e06de1168af793ee19392. pp. 680-702.
[3] (2007). “NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers.” National
Society
of
Professional
Engineers.
(Website).
http://www.nspe.org/Ethics/CodeofEthics/index.html
[4] (2009). “Code of Ethics.” American Society of Civil
Engineers. (Website). http://www.asce.org/Leadership-andManagement/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/
[5] P. Stovall. (2010). “Professional Virtue and Professional
Self-Awareness: A Case Study in Engineering Ethics.”
Springer Science + Business Media.” (Online article). DOI:
10.1007/s11948-009-9182-x.
[6] O. Ozyurt. (2011). “Experimental Study of Vertical
Ground-Source Heat Pump Performance evaluation for Cold
Climate in Turkey.” Applied Energy. (Online article).
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S03062619
10004617. pp. 1257-1265.
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Rachel Dunn
[7] I. Solomons. (2013). “Geothermal Systems Installed at
Steyn City Development.” Engineering News. (Online
article).
http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/geothermalsystems-installed-at-steyn-city-development-2013-09-20.
[8] A. Gregor. (2012). “Geothermal Designs Arise as a
Stormproof Resource.” The New York Times. (Online article).
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/07/business/geothermalenergy-advocates-hope-systems-get-a-second-look.html.
[9] D. Marinova, E. Oldmeadow. (2010). “Into Geothermal
Solutions: The Sustainability Case for Challenge Stadium in
Perth, Western Australia.” Wiley Online Library. DOI:
10.1002/ep.10476. pp. 476-485.
[10] R. Burgess, M. Davis, M. Dyrud, et. Al. (2012).
“Engineering Ethics: Looking Back, Looking Forward.”
Springer Science + Business Media.
[11] M. Agnello, R. Burgess, M. Dargess, et al. (2010).
“Incorporating Sustainable Development and Environmental
Ethics Into Construction Engineering Education.” LACCEI
Latin American and Caribbean Conference for Engineering
and
Technology.
http://cybertesis.urp.edu.pe/ponencias/LACCEI_2010/Papers
/Papers_pdf/CE168_Darwish.pdf
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank my roommate, Jacalyn Sharp, who
inspired me to write about the ethical dilemma of geothermal
energy systems. She also pushed me to my limits, in order to
write the best paper I possibly could. I would also like to thank
my parents, Michelle and Randy Dunn, who helped me
encourage me. Additionally, I would like to thank Joseph
Marchi for all of his assistance with editing and revising my
paper. Lastly, I would like to thank the Bevier Librarians for
their advantageous presentation about the library. Without the
librarians, I would have faced a huge setback.
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Rachel Dunn
REFERENCES
[1] S. Colls, L. Johnston, G. Narsilio, et al. (2011). “Emerging
Geothermal Energy Technologies.” KSCE Journal of Civil
Engineering. (Online article). DOI: 10.1007/s12205-0110005-7. pp. 643-653.
[2] A. Gregor. (2012). “Geothermal Designs Arise as a
Stormproof Resource.” The New York Times. (Online article).
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/07/business/geothermalenergy-advocates-hope-systems-get-a-second-look.html.
[3] O. Ozyurt. (2011). “Experimental Study of Vertical
Ground-Source Heat Pump Performance evaluation for Cold
Climate in Turkey.” Applied Energy. (Online article).
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S03062619
10004617. pp. 1257-1265.
[4] I. Solomons. (2013). “Geothermal Systems Installed at
Steyn City Development.” Engineering News. (Online
article).
http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/geothermalsystems-installed-at-steyn-city-development-2013-09-20.
[5] D. Marinova, E. Oldmeadow. (2010). “Into Geothermal
Solutions: The Sustainability Case for Challenge Stadium in
Perth, Western Australia.” Wiley Online Library. DOI:
10.1002/ep.10476. pp. 476-485.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
You must have an Acknowledgements section. The
Acknowledgements section goes after the Additional
Sources section. Your Acknowledgements section is
formatted the same way as the other “body text”
paragraphs/sections in your paper.
In this section you thank anyone who has provided
substantial inspiration and support through your process of
writing. For example, you might thank your 0011 instructor,
and/or the Bevier Librarians, and/or a Writing Center tutor,
You might thank a mentor, friend, or roommate with whom
you had useful discussions about the paper.
I am personally interested in geothermal energy as it is a
growing field of renewable energy that has not yet become
widely known. I believe that it has the potential to be one of
the most efficient forms of renewable energy; winds may die
out and the sun can become clouded, but the earth will always
contain heat.
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