Ethics paper outline and structure

¶ … Grand Challenge I'll focus on. To demonstrate, I have chosen "Provide energy from fusion" as the focus. It may also be a good idea to provide reasons for choosing this specific Grand Challenge. Energy is one of the major needs in the world today, affecting almost everything that relates to our lifestyle today, from our basic needs such as food to entertainment such as television and films. Everything today needs energy for its power, movement, or function. So providing a sustainable source of energy is one of the major challenges that engineers face today, which would make a discussion of this Grand Challenge both interesting and relevant. I would start by describing the challenge and its components, such as the potential of fusion energy, its challenges, what is currently being done, and the general safety concerns involved.

These safety concerns will then provide a good connecting point for the next part of the paper, which would focus on ethics. To relate to the discussion of energy from fusion, I have chosen the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Code of Ethics for Engineers. There are six fundamental canons, three of which could be considered to be specifically related to fusion as an energy source.

Canon #1 states that engineers are to "Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public. I would relate this to the idea that fusion energy has several challenges, including the fact that the radio activity created by the process needs to be contained. The structure built to create the energy should also be made of material that is sturdy enough to withstand the process in the long-term. Failure to do this could lead to safety concerns for workers and those living close to the facility.

Canon #3 states that engineers are to "issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner. One of the challenges that relate to fusion energy is that its possible abundance could make some overly enthusiastic to share test results with the public before they should. In other words, projects such as ITER in France should only be fully disclosed and discussed with the public after results are conclusively proven. The potential of this energy should be disclosed in as honest a way as possible, while not deceiving the public about the potential hazards involved. Although it is one of the safest forms of sustainable energy, there are safety precautions and potential hazards that the public must be aware of. This integrates Canon #5, which is to "Avoid deceptive acts." Withholding important information can also be considered a deceptive act, which engineers should avoid.

When relating my own experiences and opinions to this, I would consider how I feel about the energy needs of the world and how this affects everybody on earth. Energy is vital if we as a society are to ensure healthy and happy living for all our citizens. So from both a personal and ethical viewpoint, it is important to find energy sources that are both sustainable and cheap to produce, so that all people on earth can benefit from it.

This also relates to the importance and topicality of the issue; energy is the basis of life on earth, which means there are few more important challenges than making this sustainable. As evidence, I could mention today's energy challenges, such as environmental pollution, fuel shortages, rising prices, and so on.