The paper begins by identifying the environmental issue, the wreck of the Exxon Valdez on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and a brief description of the circumstances surrounding the event. It continues by characterizing the dual role of the federal government as an environmental protector and as a leasing agent in the oil business. The issue of conflict-of-interest is suggested and may be reconsidered in subsequent examples depicting the good and evil consequences which the disastrous oil spill caused directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally.
The paper continues by recognizing a cornucopia of ethical issues that arose and the denials that followed. In all moral, not legal, determinations, it is necessary to be thoroughly informed of the act, the intent and the circumstances. As a consequence, there are acts for which examples are given that clearly suggest ethical ambiguity, but do not call for a univocal, rigid ethical judgment. Following this major consideration, many examples of the "good" and the "evil" that resulted from the spill are provided, and which point out significant philosophical (political as well as ethical) perspectives including: the role of government; the role of conscience; risk; proportionalism; privacy; cooperation; the role of multinationals; disclosure; and deception and concealment.
The paper concludes with perspectives on the spill, the conduct of government and corporate officials, the citizens and the environment. If there is a common denominator for all of these perspectives, it may be found in a sincere examination of the concept of rights-and-duties.
On March 24, 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez went aground on a submerged reef, releasing more than ten million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound, a body of water about two-thirds the size of Lake Michigan, and polluting more than 1,244 miles of Alaskan coastline. From subsistence hunters to investment bank...