Exxon Valdez Issues The paper begins by identif

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 environmen

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near the simulated oil spill site to help set up pumps, skimmers, and oil containment booms. Settlement money from the oil spill will be used to buy 42,000 acres on Afognak Island to protect bald eagles and marbled murreiets. The $38.7 million purchase stops logging near Seal Bay, in the island's northeast corner to protect the birds' habitat, and the state will own the land. The area to be bought centers on about 17,000 acres around Seal Bay, and is near the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, a 1.86 million acre preserve famous for its sockeye salmon and brown bears. State Attorney General Cole, who negotiated the settlement with Exxon on the state's behalf and is also a trustee of the Exxon fund, put a moral spin on the purchase: "We're simply discharging our responsibilities to restore the impaired natural resources."4 Despite the unpredictability of salmon runs, the 1994 pink salmon season caused celebration among fishermen. The news, however, was not all good: "But these are hatchery-grown fish that were spawned in fresh water . . . Wild pink salmon . . . [which] spawn in the Sound haven't come back and seem to be genetically damaged by the oil."5 Results from some $100 million worth of government-funded studies unveiled

Category: Science - E