Product Liability and Environmental Ethics

Current news and politics is full of concern about the environment, particularly as it is related to oil use and the
auto industry. There are a number of ethical considerations that arise out of these issues. Please be sure to
answer ALL of the following questions:
Question 1: Some propose that these concerns could be alleviated if our use of cars was limited by increased
gasoline taxes–if gas is more expensive, we will use less of it and, as a beneficial by-product, improve the
environment. What do you think of this proposal and what theory would support your position? Are there
injustices built into such measures?
Question 2: What about the possibility that the US auto industry, encouraged by its partial owner, the US
government, will no longer produce large gas guzzlers (think Hummer) or will subsidize hybrid or green cars?
Is it ethical for the government to essentially prevent a US company from producing a legal good or encourage
a company to produce one good over another? What ethical theory supports your position?
Question 3: What are the possible ethical considerations of banning or restricting the import of cars that do not
meet certain emission standards? Volkswagen was recently embroiled in a major business disaster when it
was discovered that software engineers had inserted a “fix” in their cars that was designed to fool emission
tests. While illegal, was that unethical?
Question 4: Finally, the world today is full of news about fracking, the process by which a high volume of liquid
is pumped into the ground to fracture rock and extract natural gas. What are the ethical considerations of either
permitting or prohibiting property owners from using their property in this manner?