ETHICS 445

Scenario

It is 2020, and General Foryota Company opens a plant in whichto build a new mass-produced hover-craft. This hover-craft willwork using E-85 Ethanol, will travel up to 200 mph, and will reducepollution worldwide at a rate of 10 percent per year. It is likelythat when all automobiles in the industrial world have been changedover to hovercrafts, emission of greenhouse gasses may be soreduced that global warming may end and air quality will becomecompletely refreshed.

However, the downside is that during the transition time, GFC'sHover-Vee (only available in red or black), will most likely putall transportation as we know it in major dissaray. Roadways willno longer be necessary, but new methods of controlling traffic willbe required. Further, while the old version of cars are still beingused, Hover-vee's will cause accidents, parking issues, and mostlikely class envy and warfare. The sticker price on the first twomodels will be about four times that of the average SUV (to about$200,000.) Even so, GFC's marketing futurists have let them knowthat they will be able to pre-sell their first three years ofexpected production, with a potential waiting list which will takebetween 15 and 20 years to fill.

The Chief Engineer (CE) of GFC commissions a study on potentialliabilities for the Hover-vees. The preliminary result is thatHover-vees will likely kill or maim humans at an increased rate ofdouble to triple over automobile travel because of collisions andcrashes at high speeds -- projected annual death rates of 100,000to 200,000. However, global warming will end, and the environmentwill flourish.

The U. S. Government gets wind of the plans. Congress begins todiscuss the rules on who can own and operate Hover-vees. GFC'sstock skyrockets. The Chief Engineer takes the results of the studyto the Chief Legal Counsel (CLC), and together they agree to burythe study, going forward with the production plans. The ChiefProject Manager (CPM), who has read the study and agreed to buryit, goes ahead and plans out the project for the company, withtarget dates and production deadlines.

Somebody sent a secret copy of the report to you at your homeaddress. It has no information in it at all, except for the reportshowing the proof of the increase in accidents and deaths. Thereport shows, on its face, that the CE, CLC, CPM, and yourCongressional Representative have seen copies of this report. Onthe front there are these words typed in red: They knew — theyburied this. Please save the world!

As an Engineer on the GFC team, I feel a very loyal tie to myboss and my company/country. I have mortgage, and family to feed.It is likely if I blow the whistle on this report, I will lose myjob and my livelihood. I'm not even sure who wrote the study in theenvelope or who actually sent it to me.

Utilizing my profession's code of ethics, what should be myfirst step?

Who should I talk to first?

should I go to the press?

should I go to your boss?

Should I react at all?

What professional ethics codes with international scope can Iuse to see the guidance given for dilemmas such as this.