Engineering’s Impact on Society

1. Engineering’s Impact on Society Stanley M. Howard, PhD, PE Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Rapid City, SD

2. Acknowledgement Dr. Harold SternAssociate ProfessorCommunications & ControlsUniversity of AlabamaEmail: hstern@coe.eng.ua.edu For his original Power Point work on which this presentation is based Slides with an “*” in the lower right hand corner were patterned directly after his work.

3. Engineers Are Action Oriented Action Means Change and • Different Segments of Society Have Different Goals and Values • Good Intentions Can Produce Unexpected and Unwanted Results • Only Six Percent of the Public Are Scientifically Literate • Actions Have Unforeseen Scientific, Political, and Social Consequences

4. Actions have Unforeseen Consequences

5. Actions have Unforeseen Consequences

6. Actions have Unforeseen Consequences

7. Unforeseen Consequences Classic Example #1 Original Problem: Soil Erosion Solution: Introduce Kudzu from Japan Unintended Consequence: Overrun with Vines Killing of Other Vegetation Power Lines Shorting Out Etc. Southeastern USA Kudzu Credit: Harold P. E. Stern

8. Unforeseen Consequences Classic Example #2 Original Problem: Manual Labor Low Productivity Slow Transportation Solution: Industrialization Unintended Consequence: Air Pollution Sweat Shops Urban Problems Santiago Chile Smog Credit: http://www.planetark.org/envpicstory.cfm/newsid/17148

9. Actions have Unforeseen Consequences Consequences are more likely to be identified when people with varied expertise and perspectives offer input. Number of People of Varied Backgrounds Offering Input Identifying Consequences

10. Issues Concerning Openness • National Security • Competitive Edge • Streamline Effort • Cut Costs • Save Time • “What They Don’t Know Won’t Hurt Them”

11. When Should Secrecy be Maintained?

12. When Could Secrecy Appropriately be Maintained? • National security restricted by legally authorized government oversight • Private activities involving only intellectual property • Product and process development with consequences limited to consumer choice

13. Group Exercise Develop a set of specific procedures to • Inform society of the tradeoffs • Gain society’s prior approval • Limit unintended consequences *

14. When Should the Public be Informed? Inform the public whenever society could be affected by the proposed project except in cases of simple consumer options or national security authorized by the legally empowered governmental agency.

15. Procedures to Limit Unintended Consequences and Gain Public Consent • Study similar problems and previous solutions to determine their societal impact • Identify technological trends associated with the proposed solution • Project possible societal impacts of these trends to limit unintended consequences • Research all laws and regulations that may exist concerning a proposed solution • Determine the appropriate ways to inform society and achieve an informed consensus *

16. Resources Available • Prior projects • Codes and regulations • Editorials • Case studies *

17. Resources Available to Identify Trends • Codes • Phased Implementation of Laws • World Initiatives • Professional Societies *

18. Resources Available to Research Laws and Regulations • Governmental Agencies • Other Designers • Patents • Professional Societies/Associates/Groups *

19. Resources Available to Achieve an Informed Consensus • Public Meetings • Elections • Environmental Impact Report (EIR) • Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) *

20. Group Exercise - Analysis A reporter selected by each group will present their analysis • Analyze placement of widespread windmill farms in western South Dakota • Analyze the positives and negatives and the intended and unintended consequences • Propose societal impact management methods

21. Report Format • Benefits • Negatives • Consequences Likely Unforeseen by Many • Procedures

22. Analysis (cont’d) • Benefits Clean and Cheap Renewable Power, Small Land Requirements, Economic Stimulation and Options, Low Impact • Negatives Periodic, No on-demand Supply, Noisy, New Power Grid Needed, Aesthetics, Bird Strikes, Maintenance, Large Land Requirements, More Activity Note: The contradictory items offered by a group of engineers. Imagine the contradictions had the group been more diverse. This illustrates the role of values and intangibles.

23. Analysis (cont’d) Possible Unintended Consequences Need more infrastructure Adverse affect on current energy-related industry Displacement of Agri-business Health effects Electromagnetic induced cancers Neurotic cows Communication disruption Topsoil loss Ambience disruption Wage/living issues

24. Analysis (cont’d) Procedures Get more info from other experts Focus groups, previous projects Public hearings Government regulations Professional standards

25. Engineering’s Impact on Society Seek Input Embrace the Regulatory Environment as an Valuable Operating Template Never Violate the Public Good Use Secrecy only for intellectual rights, simple market-related activities, or government authorized activity Conclusion