How to make engineering more ethical

Making things may seem like an unquestionable good. But think again. Behind the products we use, the buildings we live in and every machine we have are sets of choices that can sometimes be ethical minefields. Take the Dow Chemical Company, for instance, which is still living with the ethical stain of the Bhopal tragedy in 1984, simply because it bought out Union Carbide. In 2010, eight former Union Carbide employees were convicted of death by negligence for the toxic gas leak that killed thousands. Now, campaigners have attacked the organisers of the Olympic Games in London for allowing Dow to sponsor the fabric wrap around the main stadium.

Which goes to show, ethics are a hugely important and sometimes sadly neglected aspect of engineering. Whether it's a choice of sustainable material, or whether to bribe a government official, engineers need to be more aware of the social repercussions of their work. The latest issue of the fabulous E&T Magazine explores this topic, including a piece by me on how engineers, ethicists and social scientists can learn to get along for the wider good of society - including views from the engineering giants, Shell and Arup. Check it out and let me know your thoughts.