M7 – Mendoza

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What environmental responsibilities do we have to the rest of the world? What obligations do we have to future generations?

As the world’s sole superpower, I feel we bear the responsibility of leading the charge to combat, prevent and reverse the effects of global warming. We should invest in and improve technologies and processes of producing green, renewable energy in order to show the rest of the world that it can be done and how to do it. Now, thinking back to our previous discussion about dumping waste materials in developing countries, I firmly believe that we as a nation should also find ways to recycle our own materials rather than pawn them off on others who don’t have the ability to resist. Learning how to reduce, reuse and recycle efficiently can have a major impact on the environment in a positive way all by itself.

Now, in regards to what obligations we have to future generations, I think it goes without saying that we owe them the world…literally. We may not have caused all the problems we face today, but we are definitely contributing to them and it is entirely possible for us to find the solutions to them. We shouldn’t simply say oh well and pass these issues on as they will only get more complicated and difficult to solve or prevent. If you have kids of your own, I’m sure you don’t want them to grow up in an environment that can harm or kill them by entirely preventable issues such as contaminated water, air, food or what they are exposed to simply by stepping outside.

Who should pay the cost for protecting the environment — those responsible for causing the pollution or those who stand to benefit from protection and restoration?

In regards to this question, I say that both must pay. Perhaps not equally in a 50/50 split, but I’d say in a 70/30 split with those responsible for pollution paying a larger chunk. This would serve to punish those who commit environmental wrongs and may persuade them to seek routes that are cleaner and avoid financial punishment. Those who stand to gain should also have “skin in the game” and pay a portion of the cost as this is not a solution that can be achieved by any one group alone. We must all be vested in the success and implementation of greener policies that will benefit everyone on Earth.

M6 – Mendoza

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Currently, several brands of blood pressure medication known as “Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker (ARB)” are being recalled by the FDA and their manufacturer due to the presence of known carcinogens in the medication. Due to the recall, there are current investigations ongoing to determine which ARB medications are free of the contaminant and which must be removed before reaching consumers. There are as of yet no legal repercussions or policy changes, but that is yet to be seen depending on the scope of contamination and if any harm has been caused by the defect directly.

References

American Heart Assocation. (2019). “Q&A High Blood Pressure Medication Recall”.  American Heart Assocation,  Retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/changes-you-can-make-to-manage-high-blood-pressure/qa-high-blood-pressure-medication-recall. Accessed 30 June 2019.

Carroll, Linda. (27 June 2019). “FDA once again expands recall of blood pressure drugs”.  NBCnews.com,  Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fda-once-again-expands-recall-blood-pressure-drugs-n1023446. Accessed 29 June 2019.

M2 (Mendoza)

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During my time as a medic in the Army, my work environment was definitely one of impersonal egoists, myself included. No one was out to be cutthroat or sabotage others, but competition was extreme to be recognized as the best at their job. We had a common agreement that every person must look out for themselves as no one else would be more invested in your own self interests than you would be. This may sound like a place that could be hostile, but we had great comradery and a close brotherhood. But like I said, in terms of professional development and success, no one came before self. I would even say it made us better medics, as the desire to be the best pushed us as individuals to seek the latest training and education.

For me, this is a great example of how egoism isn’t necessarily an evil or morally wrong mindset to abide by. Of course we cared about the well-being of the medics in our section and the people we were medically responsible for, that went without compromise. The difference was that we simply had to look out for ourselves at the end of the day, and though it may be difficult for some to understand as many people are stuck in the “team” mentality, you’ve got to realize this method worked for us. We were competitive, and we were better for it.

M1 (Mendoza, M.)

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THIS WEEK’S ASSIGNMENT:   Answer these questions with original thought and references to the text or outside resources.    How do we develop our ethics? What are the primary sources for us to develop our ethical position?

To develop our ethics, we must first have a firm foundation of personal beliefs as to what is right and wrong. While there are “universal” rights and wrongs such as murder, charity, theft, etc., there are numerous other rights and wrongs that are unique to every individual such as adhering to prayer, keeping/returning money found on the street, holding the elevator door, etc. By understanding our deepest beliefs and what we are unwilling to disregard we can then develop those ethics closest to our heart and mind. This development is not instantaneous nor is it easy/simple. It will require much thought and at times we may question that belief, but those that hold true will have become stronger, more complex and much more widely implemented and comfortable in our daily lives.

It can be said that a huge part of our ethical position/development comes from what is taught to us and demonstrated by our parents, but the text also goes on to explain that a large part of ethical position for the individual is how they see their moral decisions impact upon not only themselves, but upon society at large (Shaw, 45). These development/implementation sources are known also as “theories”. There are two large camps of thought, “consequential and non-consequential” (Shaw, 46). Essentially, the view of consequential beliefs lead to development of ethical position because if a consequence is good then the decision is good and therefore should be repeated or expanded. With non-consequential belief, the lines are a little more blurred, and because the consequences were good doesn’t necessarily mean the decision is good. Therefore much thought is given before decisions are made on moral grounds.

Reference

Shaw, W.  Business Ethics: A Textbook with Cases. [Chegg]. Retrieved from  https://ereader.chegg.com/#/books/9781305854963/