Budny 10:00
L03
ETHICS OF ENGINEERING: A DIRTY DILEMMA ABOUT CLEAN SOLAR
ENERGY
Hector Li (hal86@pitt.edu)
INTRODUCING THE SCENARIO
Solar energy is seen by the general public as the cleanest
of renewable energy sources. Especially when considering
CZTS solar cells, which are cheap and clean to the
environment, it would seem that there’s no ethical discussions
that an engineer working in solar energy could encounter.
However, engineers can easily find themselves in ethical
conflicts.
Let’s create a hypothetical scenario: I am a novice
electrical engineer who is working for SELCO (“Solar
Electric Light Company”) at their subdivision in India, where
I’ve been assigned my very first task. This project involves
installing solar arrays in a small village located in southern
India. This village mainly consists of poor lower-class
citizens, and they do not have a constant supply of electricity
due to their remoteness from major cities. My superior at
SELCO has told me that the project must be completed within
the small timeframe of a month. I recognize the importance of
this project for my stance in the company, so I eagerly accept
and being with the project.
After a few weeks of hard work, the project is near its
finishing stage. The on-site construction of the CZTS solar
arrays is all that remains to be done. But when I inspect
information about the workers that I have available for
construction, I discover that they are illegal immigrant
workers who don’t have much experience with the processes
involved with installing solar cells.
I bring up this discovery to my boss, who says that
obtaining workers with proper certifications would pose a
major delay to the completion of the project and would
increase its cost. He tells me that I should just proceed and
ignore the fact that these are illegal workers, and even offers
me a raise to disregard the information that I found.
Accomplishing this task in time would be very important to
my career with SELCO and would provide energy to the
village, but it would happen at the expense of the workers’
safety. As an ethically aware engineer, what approach should
I take to this situation?
ANALYZING RISKS AND REWARDS
The first step in handling this situation should be to
recognize what actions that I could take, and the possible
consequences that could come from each of them. How I
handle this situation will impact my career as an engineer, the
workers, my company, and the village in India, so I must
undergo careful consideration of the pros and cons of each
option:
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering 1
2015-11-03
Option 1: Follow the Boss’s Orders and Continue
Building the Solar Arrays
The first option is to simply disregard the information I’ve
found and proceed with the project anyway. This choice has
two clear benefits: First, the project will most likely be
completed in time, which will boost your career as it would
show that I can get tasks done within the given constraints.
Additionally, finishing this project earlier would mean that
the village would get more electricity at a lower cost. This
would be greatly beneficial to the community, given that
communities like these are the cause of India’s energy deficit
[1]. However, another consequence is that these illegal
workers are inexperienced, and have no form of healthcare.
Thus, they are at a very high risk of being severely injured in
the construction.
Option 2: Do the Paperwork to Legalize the Workers
After considering that having these workers without
proper certifications is most likely unethical, I’d decide to
take matters into my own hands. I would start the paperwork
to allow the Indians to work legally without informing my
boss. The consequences from this decision are that the task
will get done and the workers will be safer and working
legally, but if my boss would find out what I did behind their
back, they would fire me.
Option 3: Report the Situation to the Authorities
The third option that I have is to conclude that what is
happening is wrong, and therefore I should report the
exploitation of these workers to the appropriate authorities.
As a result, I would not place workers any workers at risk.
The fact that my company would have to find new workers
means that the project is either delayed or canceled, both of
which would result in an unhappy boss and a detriment to my
image as an engineer. The village in India will have to wait
longer to receive solar energy, or might never get it at all.
DEFINING A STANDARD FOR “ETHICS”:
CODES OF ETHICS FOR ENGINEERS
Now that I have considered what are my possible options,
the next step is to think about the principles that I, as well as
other engineers, must hold as the ethical basis. Ethics are
generally vague and can even vary widely depending on who
you ask, so various engineering organizations have set
standards that all engineers should follow. The codes that
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have most relevance to my scenario are the National Society
of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Code of Ethics and the
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Code of Ethics.
I will first introduce the canons/directives that most closely
apply to this scenario, then I will explain how each of these
principles highlighted apply to my hypothetical situation.
found and aid SELCO in breaking the law. If anyone outside
the company would find out that I approved the use of these
workers, my credentials as an engineer, the company’s
credibility, and the reputation of the engineering profession as
a whole would all be harmed.
Additionally, I would be placing the lives of these workers
at risk, because they would not have access to healthcare, nor
do they have the proper experience to get the job done safely.
The first canon of the ASCE Code of Ethics states that
“engineers shall recognize that the lives, safety, health and
welfare of the general public are dependent upon engineering
judgments, decisions and practices” [3]. As an engineer, my
decisions can potentially affect the safety of these workers.
Allowing them to work without the proper certifications and
experience would put them at the risk of serious injury, or
even death.
Since my boss is offering me a raise to continue the solar
array project knowing that what I’m doing is unethical,
there’s another breach of the code of ethics. Both codes of
ethics emphasize the importance of prohibiting the violation
of ethics for personal gains. The NSPE Code of Ethics states
that engineers “shall not promote their own interest at the
expense of the dignity and integrity of the profession” [2].
Looking outside the scope of the NSPE and ASCE codes
of ethics, illegal workers seldom report injuries to their
employers, and are much more likely to undergo safety
hazards [4]. As immigrants without any paperwork, they lack
the power necessary to assert their rights, making them more
prone to exploitation. Whether or not this is the first time that
SELCO used these workers is irrelevant; they are very likely
to continue to abuse them. As an ethical engineer, I cannot
just ignore the ethical dilemma and allow SELCO to proceed.
I need to try to find a way in which the workers are protected
from injury.
The NSPE Code of Ethics
The NSPE Code of Ethics is the principal source of ethical
standards for all engineers. It contains several fundamental
“canons”, as well as professional obligations, that all
engineers must take into consideration when making any
decision. Such principles stated in the NSPE Code of Ethics
include to “hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of
the public” and “avoid deceptive tasks” [2]. These two
principles are present the dilemma I am facing in the
hypothetical scenario, and will be considered when
determining what is the most ethical decision.
The ASCE Code of Ethics
The ASCE Code of Ethics holds some similarities to the
aforementioned NSPE Code of Ethics, but it is tailored to fit
the needs of civil engineers. Some topics of discussion
included in the ASCE Code of Ethics are “zero-tolerance
towards bribery and fraud”, “issuing public statements only
in an objective and truthful manner”, and that the “welfare of
the general public are dependent upon engineering
judgments” [3].
MAKING AN ETHICAL DECISION
Reaching the most ethical decision requires me to analyze
how the directives in the aforementioned codes of ethics apply
to each choice that I can make. Additionally, other principles
to consider that are outside these codes of ethics are as
worker’s rights and the equity of renewable energy, which I
will take into account when evaluating each decision.
A More Ethical Option: Trying to Make a Change
As opposed to doing nothing and putting these workers in
peril, I should do something to help them. One of the things I
could do is to, behind my boss’s back, work on the paperwork
necessary to legalize these workers. These would get rid of
the violations that were present in the previous choice, but it
would create new ethical problems. Doing such work without
informing my boss can be considered a betrayal of the
company. Under the NSPE code of ethics, engineers should
never engage in deceptive tasks [2]. Betraying my company
is certainly a deceptive task, and would put my credibility in
danger. My boss would most likely fire me if he found out
what I did, and I would have a hard time finding another job
after my reputation is tarnished by the fact that I betrayed my
employer. As a result, this option is more ethical in the fact
that it will result in the company not exploiting the workers,
but it is still unethical because of the way my actions affect
the company that I’m working for.
The Most Unethical Choice: Ignoring the Problem
To begin, I will take a look at the first choice: Ignoring the
dilemma at hand and beginning the construction with the
illegal workers. There’s clear violations of ethics when
utilizing these illegal workers. The first is that by employing
these workers, SELCO would be breaking the law. Thus, I
would violate Canon 6 of the NSPE Code of Ethics, which
urges engineers to “conduct themselves honorably,
responsibly, ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the
honor, reputation, and usefulness of the profession” [2]. It is
unlawful and unethical for the company to exploit
undocumented workers to get the solar arrays built at a lower
price. Under the NSPE’s first canon, engineers are not to aid
encourage the unlawful practice of engineering by a person or
firm [2]. It would be unethical to ignore the information I’ve
The Ethical Alternative: Reporting to the Authorities
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Hector Li
scenario. The Indian Employer’s Duty of Care also
emphasizes the importance of protecting the health of
workers, and that it is the responsibility of the employer to
consider their health is a priority, even when they are overseas
[6]. The two articles I just mentioned pose interesting
perspectives on the responsibilities that engineers have when
making decisions. The choice that I make as an engineer in
this hypothetical scenario could potentially shape the future
of the company and the remote community in India. As an
engineer, it is importance to recognize that our actions can
have long-lasting effects on big amounts of people.
The last alternative involves the most work and involves
outside parties, but it is the most ethical out of the three. Under
the ASCE Code of Ethics, finding out that SELCO is trying
to use illegal workers makes it my responsibility to present
such information to the proper authority, and to cooperate
with the proper authority in furnishing such further
information or assistance as may be required [3]. When
reporting to the authorities, I must be aware of the way in
which I should denounce my company’s ethical violations.
One of the fundamental canons of the ASCE code of ethics is
that engineers have the responsibility of issuing public
statements in an objective and truthful manner [3]. In order to
do this, I would have to express what is happening concisely
and truthfully to an authority that would not be influenced by
SELCO’s interest.
Although the solar energy project in the Indian village
might get delayed due to the ethical violations, it will still get
done. Exposing the wrongful actions of my company is more
important than implementing a solar array system faster than
it would take if performed properly. Denouncing the
company’s ethical breaches would reinforce my ethical
awareness and honor the engineering profession. For these
reasons, I would definitely make this decision if I were in this
scenario.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OTHER
ENGINEERS
To conclude this essay, I’d like to give recommendations
for other engineers who might find themselves in a similar
situation. The most important thing to remember is that
engineers should place ethics above their own personal
interests. Even though a raise or promotion would be
beneficial to one’s career as an engineer, it is not worth
obtaining at the cost of breaking the code of ethics, which
could have severe repercussions that would not only affect
their professional standing, but also the lives of others.
Based on what I’ve learned while writing this paper, I’d
say that the best way to make a decision when faced with an
ethical dilemma is to take a close look at the codes of ethics.
Although sometimes vague, their fundamental canons and
directives are a good basis for the virtues that all engineers
should strive to attain, and will guide you to make the most
ethical choice.
OTHER FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN
MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE
In the previous section, I mentioned how the various codes
of ethics played an integral role in how I would choose to
handle my hypothetical scenario. However, these are not the
only things that I took in consideration when making my
decision. Implementing renewable solar energy in remote
locations benefits the welfare of the general public, which is
one of the paramount duties of engineers. On the other hand,
careful consideration of outside factors must be taken in order
to be successful. It is true that India suffers from a 10% energy
deficit [1], but does the benefit that comes from installing
solar arrays in a community outweigh the ethical issues that
arise from following my boss’s orders? Absolutely not.
The ethics of energy have recently become a very
important topic to researchers. A meta-analysis published by
the Taylor and Francis Group—a well-respected UK-based
academic journal—presents the idea that the importance of
ethics in energy will only increase. As the article states:
“Questions of equity, justice and vulnerability within energy
systems are likely to become increasingly urgent policy
issues, and as such, will constitute a crucial research agenda
in the coming years” [5]. Ethics must still be considered, even
when looking at the huge benefits of renewable energy. This
isn’t just limited to what is stated in the NSPE and other
engineering codes of ethics.
Engineering ethical codes are not the only ones who point
to the fact that there’s ethical violations in my hypothetical
REFERENCES
[1] A. Ghosh. (2015). “The big push for renewable energy in
India: What will drive it?” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
(Online article). DOI: 10.1177/0096340215590791
[2] “NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers.” National Society of
Professional
Engineers.
(Online
Article).
http://www.nspe.org/sites/default/files/resources/pdfs/Ethics/
CodeofEthics/Code-2007-July.pdf
[3] “ASCE Code of Ethics.” American Society of Civil
Engineers
(Online
Article).
http://www.asce.org/uploadedFiles/About_ASCE/Ethics/Co
ntent_Pieces/CodeofEthics2006.pdf
[4] T. Basok, Alan Hall, Eloy Rivas. (2014). “Claiming
Rights to Workplace Safety: Latin American Immigrant
Workers in Southwestern Ontario.” Canadian Ethnic Studies
(Online Article). DOI: 10.1353/ces.2014.0045
[5] (2014) “New approaches to energy: equity, justice, and
vulnerability. Introduction to the special issue.” Taylor and
Francis
Group
(Online
Article).
DOI:
10.1080/13549839.2012.759337
[6] (2015) “Employer’s Duty of Care when employees are
deputed overseas – India Perspective” International SOS
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Hector Li
Foundation.
(Online
Article).
www.internationalsosfoundation.org/?wpfb_dl=124
ADDITIONAL SOURCES
“Ethics Case Studies” WebGURU Guide for Undergraduate
Research.
(Online
Database).
http://www.webguru.neu.edu/professionalism/researchintegrity/ethics-case-studies
“Board of Ethical Review Cases” National Society of
Professional
Engineers.
(Online
Database).
http://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/ethicsresources/board-of-ethical-review-cases
“Ethics Cases” Texas Tech University. (Online Database).
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/murdoughcenter/products/cases.ph
p
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would first like to acknowledge the Writing Center for
helping me with the development of this paper. I’d also like
to thank my writing instructor, Mrs. Liberty Ferda, for being
willing to answer any questions I had with this assignment.
Finally, I’d like to thank my roommate Jack Fried for keeping
me focused and being part of insightful discussions regarding
my topic.
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