Ethics Center hosts discussion on oil industryOct. 8, 2010 KALAMAZOO--The Center for the Study of Ethics in Society celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and kicks off its fall season on Tuesday, Oct. 12, with a panel discussion on ethics and the oil industry. The discussion, set for 7 p.m. in Room 159 of the Bernhard Center, is titled "Do Oil and Ethics Mix?" Panelists will engage in a wide-ranging discussion of the ethics involved in the quest for oil in light of this summer's oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico and the Kalamazoo River. They will address what standards of risk and safety should be in place when it comes to a high-risk activity like the oil industry; what type of oversight is needed and by whom; whether society can accept the risks to the environment and the economy; and who should pay for the cleanup after an accident. Dr. Norman Hawker, WMU professor of finance and commercial law, will act as moderator. Panelists will include Dr. Peter Parker, WMU professor of paper engineering, chemical engineering and imaging; Dr. Michael Pritchard, professor of philosophy and the center founding director and current co-director; and Dr. Elaine Englehardt, professor of ethics and philosophy at Utah Valley University. Plans call for Hawker to give a brief narrative and timeline of this summer's oil spills, both here and in the gulf, as well as a brief outline of the legal liabilities facing the two companies involved, BP and Enbridge. Parker, Pritchard and Englehardt are expected to address the general problem of tradeoffs involved with safety from engineering and ethical standpoints. Other fall 2010 ethics discussions include:
For more information, visit the WMU Ethics Center online. Media contact: Mark Schwerin, (269) 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu WMU News |