Question

Engineering student Bryan has a high-paid summer job as a forklift operator. This job enables him to attend college without having to take out any student loans. He is now staring at a 50- gallon drum filled with used machine coolant, wondering what he should do.

Just moments ago, Bryan’s supervisor, Max, told him to dump half of the used coolant down the drain. Knowing the coolant was toxic, Bryan noted this to Max, but Max was not swayed.

Max: The toxins settle at the bottom of the drum. If you pour out half and dilute it with tap water while you are pouring it, there is no problem.

Bryan: I don’t think that’s going to work. Besides isn’t it against the law?

Max: Look, kid, I don’t have the time for chitchat about a bunch of silly laws. If I spent my time worrying about every little regulation that comes along, I’d never get anything done – and neither will you. Common sense is my rule. I just told you – toxins settle at the bottom, and most of them will stay there. We’ve been doing this for years, and nothing’s happened.

Bryan: You mean not one’s said anything about it? That doesn’t mean the environment isn’t being harmed.

Max: You aren’t one of those “environmentalists”, are you? You college guys spend too much of your time in the “ivory tower.” It’s time to get real – and get on with the job. You know, you’re lucky to have a good-paid job like this, kid. In three months, you will be back in your cozy Page 2 of 3 college. Meanwhile, how many other college kids do you think are out there wondering if they’ll be able to afford to go back – kids who’d give their eyetooth to be where you are right now.

Max then left, fully expecting Bryan to dump the used coolant. Bryan stared at the drum, he pondered his options. What options do you think he has? Conduct an ethical analysis of the above case.

1. In the above case, what are three relevant moral values that Bryan faces? Justify each value.

2. Clarify the different aspects of the values relevant in this case.

3. What information should Bryan collect in the short and long-term?

4. What options are available to Bryan?

5. What action should Bryan take? What are the consequences of taking that action?

Answer 1

Hello, I am trying to answer this questions 1 to 5 based on the information gatheted from passage combining it with some concepts of Ethics and ethical engineering. In my answer I have used certain scenarioes which might happen. These examples are for proper understanding whoever reads my answer and not to intensionally harm or disappoint anyone.

NOTE - Machine coolant is generally a hazardouus substance because of the dissolved metals, chlorinated oils and biocides (a poisonous substance in pesticide), hence need to be properly disposed.

1. Morals, Ethics, Values and Attitude ( MEVA ) are the mental constricts that serve as an instrument for behavior regulation. Morals regulate our behavior by evoking a persons guilt.

In this scenario Bryan experiance an internal conflict going on in his mind possibly because of inculcation with following Moral Values :

a. Honesty - As Bryan is an engineering student, he knows very well that dumping machine coolant directly in the drain will be hazardous to the environment. Therefore because of this moral value, he could not directly dump it into the drain.

b. Justice - Bryan knows that directly dumping machine coolant in the drain will create problems in the treatrment plant if the drain leads to any treatment plant. This is because treating water with oils and other harmfull chemicals requires extra precautions on part of the treatment plant. But if the drain directly dumps the water into the river or lake , then harmfull chemicals of coolant will degrade the water qualilty of the water-body which will lead to problems in aquatic plants , animals and hence to huma being dependent on that water. Therefore to give justice to all the above mentioned examples , Bryan experiances conflict.

c. Theft- Bryan knows that if any institution wants to dispose of machine coolant, then initially it has to remove the oil from the coolant in the institution itself by some special techniques like ultrafiltration systems, evaporaters and many others. To save the cost, the comapany has not invested anything on the treatment of waste. Moreover if any institution is disposing hazardous waste in the sewer drains, then it has to take proper permission to do so for which the comapny need to pay heavy taxes to the treatment plant. To avoid all this stuff, the supervisor (Mr. Max) silently askes Bryan to throw the waste in the drain, which is atheft of money.

PART B) When we make a preference based on importance, its thought to be dependent on our values which we learn in out lifetime. When our behavior ( To throw the coolant in the drain) is not matching with our values (knowing that it is dargerous and many human beings or animals or plants will be affected by it), we experiance conflict or confusion exactly what Bryan is experiancing in this situation. In that situation we fail to take a stand on any one decission and sought external help.

PART C) Bryan learns that the morals and the ethics taught in text books and classrooms do not fit in real life all the time , which is a long term learning.

The company where he is working has an intension to make more profits while compromising on the environment. Now being an intern( which is a temporary post) if he wants to be a torch-bearer for such illegal actions he might loose his job for which his stipend will stop and he will not be able to pay his engineering fees and hence will not be able to complete his engineering. Therefore to stop the illegal action going on in the company he might loose his job, engineering degree and to top it someone else will take his place whose morals are not as strong as Bryans' and will continue to do the illegal work. This might be the Short-term learning that Bryan has learnt.

PART D) Bryan has the option to act as a torchbearer and expose the comapany . Second option he has is to suggest a proper sollution to the problem but seeing the behavior of the supervisorit seems they knowingly avoid the problem. Last option he has is to throw the coolant in the drain and save his job and hence his engineering degree.

PART E) If Bryan takes up the job of a torchbearer and complain to the environmentalists , there is a 50% chance that the problem will be solved as the company might do a cost benifit study and if the environmentalists are ready to accept bribe and if the bribe is less costly than the setup of oil skimming instrument and paying proper taxes, then it might be possible that they continue to diposit the coolant in the drain but what is for sure is that Bryan will loose his job and he might noit be able to pay his engineering fees and hence he might loose his dream of becoming an engineer.

Second option is that, he might do as instructed by the supervisor to save his job. Soon he mwill become an engineer and might reach out at some high post in the community with power and position and hence take the risk of exposing the company at that stage when nobody will be able to do him much harm provided he has the values inculcated in him by that time.