Download Ethics in Natural Resource Inventory: Principles, Techniques, and Applications - Prof. Rob and more Study notes Forestry in PDF only on Docsity! 1 Ethics in Natural Resource Inventory, Monitoring and Assessment There is only one Good, Knowledge. There is only one Evil, Ignorance. . . . . . . . . Socrates What are Ethics ? • Definitions: – A system of moral principles. (Random House Dictionary, 1987) – The rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession. (Dictionary.com) – Deals with rightness or wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions. (Del Re (2001) HYLE—Int. J. Philos. Chemi., 7:85-102 ) How do Ethics apply to Natural Resources and I, M, A ? • Techniques and methods • Treatment of data • Values • Conflicts of interest • Openness • Allocation of Credit • Error and negligence • Misconduct • Response to violation of ethical standards 2 Techniques and methods • Using faulty or suspect methodology • Not being clear on methodology used when reporting results • Reproducibility • Best methods can still bias results (ethics issue?) • Using ethical methods in regard to animals (or plants), humans – Acceptable handing practices for animals – Plants—when is this a problem? Ethical Treatment of Animals (and other organisms, ecosystems) • Based in philosophy – Intrinsic value (Bryan Norton): “. . . the value [an object] has which is not dependent on its contribution to the value of another object.” – Existence value: the value an object has simply because we know it exists. • Guidelines developed for handing animals – Federal Law: Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) must be formed by institution handing animals – Reviews justification, handling, methods for sacrificing animals – Places “burden of proof” for value of research on researcher • Guidelines for preserving resources on public lands – Applies to scientific research – Places “burden of proof” for value of research on researcher IACUC – Wildlife Standards • Acceptable Field Methods in Mammalogy – American Society of Mammologists • American Ornithologist Union. Report of Committee on Use of Wild Birds in Research – American Ornithological Union • Guidelines for Use of Amphibians and Reptiles in Field Research – American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists • Guidelines for Use of Fish in Field Research – American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists – American Fisheries Society – American Institute of Fisheries Research Biologists www.usu.edu/vpr/policies/iacuc/wildlife_standards.asp 5 Misconduct • Involve deception – Making up data (fabrication), e.g., 'cloned human embryos' – Misreporting data (falsification) – Using the ideas of others without giving credit or having permission (plagiarism) • Need not be copying written material, but applies to ideas, data • Universities and agencies have policies on misconduct – USU: www1.usu.edu/aa/ethics/ Response to violation of ethical standards • Raising a concern over unethical conduct – Not easy to deal with (fear of reprisals) – Often handled “behind scenes” – Formal complaints should be submitted in writing • Raising concerns over potential health or safety issues – Many examples in recent years – Not easy to deal with – Press often medium for exposing issue – Advocacy vs. whistle-blowing Goals of Ethical Approach to Natural Resource I, M, A • Good science • Good ethics in working with animals, plants, ecosystems, humans • Effective decision making • Minimizing conflict of interest • Maintain public trust 6 Societal Ethics toward Science • Freedom of research • Limits on what can be researched • Freedom of speech • Maintain expectation of ethical behavior of scientists—public trust
