Overview
Purpose of the Discussion- The Hidden Cost of a Car -40 points
This discussion asks students to move beyond learning what materials are in a car and consider the ethical consequences of obtaining and using those materials. Students examine questions such as:
- What responsibilities do we have to protect the environment?
- How should we balance human needs with environmental protection?
- Who is responsible when our choices have consequences for people or ecosystems somewhere else in the world?
- Is something ethically acceptable simply because it is useful or necessary?
- Should consumers, companies, and governments share responsibility for the impacts of resource extraction?
The larger ethical goal
Students are practicing ethical reasoning. They must identify the values involved, consider competing perspectives, use evidence, and justify a position rather than simply stating what they personally prefer.
The discussion also helps students understand an important ethical concept:
Our everyday choices can have consequences beyond ourselves.
Discussion Questions Instructions and Assignment- The Hidden Cost of a Car Postings: Post your discussion assignment in Canvas classroom by the due date it appears in the course calendar. The Discussion Question Rubric will be used to evaluate the assignment. Please copy and paste the questions before your Reponses. Instructions: 1. Answer the discussion question(s) assigned to you. You must complete all discussion questions by: First, answer the question and then respond to three of your classmates’ responses in a paragraph. Your answer must contain:
A substantive response should:
Negative points will be assess for the unmet criteria. |
Discussion Forum Rubric
Evaluation Criteria | Advanced | Proficient | Not Yet There | Not There At All |
Development of Ideas | Well-developed ideas; introduces new ideas; stimulates discussion | Developing ideas; sometimes stimulates discussion | Poorly developed ideas which do not add to discussion (14-24 pt.) | Does not enter the discussion |
Evidence of Critical Thinking | Clear evidence of critical thinking--application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Postings are characterized by clarity of argument, depth of insight into theoretical issues, originality of treatment, and relevance. Sometimes include unusual insights. Arguments are well supported. | Beginnings of critical thinking; postings tend to address peripheral issues. Generally accurate but could be improved with more analysis and creative thought. Tendency to recite facts rather than address issues. ( | Poorly developed critical thinking | Does not enter the discussion |
Response to Other Students and Instructor | Interacts with at least three (3) other students and/or instructor | Interacts at least once with other students and/or instructor | Does not enter discussion | |
Timeliness and Mechanics | Individual message and at least two responses posted before deadline Standard English mechanics and grammar were used in the initial post. | Noticeable problems with mechanics or late postings. | No messages posted |
Discussion- The Hidden Cost of a Car: An Ethical Dilemma
Background Information
A car may seem like a simple object, but producing one requires dozens of materials taken from the Earth. A Subaru, for example, can contain thousands of pounds of iron ore, hundreds of pounds of aluminum, copper, petroleum, and many other materials such as cobalt, lead, nickel, and zinc. These resources make cars safer, stronger, more efficient, and more comfortable.
However, obtaining these materials can have environmental and human consequences. Mining can destroy habitats, pollute water and soil, produce large amounts of waste, and require significant amounts of energy. Some materials are also imported from other countries, where mining practices and worker protections may be different from those in the United States.
This creates an ethical dilemma: Society depends on cars for transportation, work, school, emergencies, and everyday life, but producing cars requires taking valuable resources from the Earth.
Discussion Questions-Ethical Issue 1: How much environmental harm is acceptable? Answer each in 40 words or more.
- If mining and using Earth materials makes transportation safer and more accessible, is it ethically acceptable to continue mining these resources even when doing so damages ecosystems?
- What should society do, and where should we draw the line between meeting human needs and protecting the environment? Defend your position using evidence from the materials found in a car.
Ethical Issue 2: Who should be responsible for the consequences?
- Car manufacturers, governments, consumers, and mining companies all play a role in the demand for Earth materials. If the production of a car causes environmental damage or contributes to unsafe working conditions somewhere in the world, who should be responsible for addressing the problem?
- Should consumers be willing to pay more for cars made with responsibly sourced or recycled materials? Should manufacturers be required to use fewer newly mined resources? Or should governments create stricter rules? Explain and defend your position.
Resource Information to take into consideration and may be used in your responses.
What Earth Materials are in My Subaru? By Christine V. McLelland
The average car is made with over 30 materials extracted from the Earth! Each element, mineral and resource* listed below has special properties
that make them important in the production and performance of the car.
After reading the descriptions below, take a picture of a car and place each available picture of the resource and place it in the appropriate position on the car poster. See how many you can get right!- Not required
Name of materials/resources used in a car- Amount in lbs.
Aluminum 240 Light metal- used in body of car.
Antimony Trace- Used to make car upholstery fire resistant.
Asbestos 1.2- Used in brake pads.
Barium Trace- Used to coat electrical conductors in the ignition system.
Cadmium Trace- Electrolytically deposited as a coating on metals (steel) to form a chemically resistant coating.
Carbon 46 -Used to make iron ore into steel. Steel contains 1% carbon. Also used to add strength to rubber.
Clays Trace- Used to make ceramics in engine (ex. spark plugs)
Coal NA -Used to make electricity to produce autos.
Cobalt Trace -Makes thermally resistant alloys** (‘superalloys’) in engine.
Copper 42- Used for wiring throughout automobile.
Fluorspar Trace- Directly or indirectly used to manufacture aluminum, gasoline and steel.
Gallium Trace- Used in mirrors, transistors and LEDs.
Gold Trace- Used in the electronics systems.
Iron Ore- (see MAGNETITE)-4960 Used to make steel for the frame and engine of the auto.
Lead (see GALENA)- 24 From the mineral galena, used in the battery. (960 lbs. of lead ore needed)
Magnesium 4.4 -An alloy is used to strengthen aluminum and zinc.
Manganese 17.6 Makes an alloy with steel that is tough and resistant to wear parts such as axles, pistons, crank shafts and gears. Used in batteries.
Molybdenum 1.0 Used to strengthen steel and lubricants.
Mica Trace Fills the shocks.
Nickel 9.0 -Used as plating for stainless steel.
Nitrogen Trace- Used for ceramic materials (spark plugs) and in battery.
Oxygen Varies- Used for the combustion in engine.
Palladium Trace- Used as an alloy in electrical contacts.
Petroleum- (see gusher, oil rigs, and pipeline pictures)
980 petroleum we produce plastics- (used for the body and interior), rubber tires, paint, synthetic fabrics, gasoline and lubricating oils. Also to make electricity used in the production of the auto.
Quartz sand 170 Used for silica to make glass (85 lbs.)
Silicon 41 -Ceramic components.
Strontium Trace Used for phosphorescent paint on dials.
Sulfur 2 Used in battery.
Tin Trace- Alloys with copper, makes solder and lead.
Titanium Tr- Used to make metallic alloys and as a substitute for aluminum. Also used in paint, lacquers, plastics and rubber.
Tungsten Trace- Used in filament of light bulbs and for spark plug manufacturing.
Vanadium 1 Used to form alloys that are tough and resist fatigue. Used in axles, crank shafts, gears and other critical components.
Zinc Ore 18 (720 of zinc ore)
Galvanizes screws to be resistant to rust and corrosion. As a filler in rubber tires. Auto industry is the largest consumer.
Zirconium Trace Alloy of steel and glass and used in light bulb filaments.
* A mineral is an inorganic, solid, homogeneous, crystalline chemical element or compound with a set chemical formula; broadly, a mineral or earth material is: any of various naturally occurring homogeneous substances (such as stone, coal, salt, sulfur, sand, petroleum, water, or natural gas) obtained usually from the ground.
**An alloy is a substance containing two or more metals, usually created because it has certain more desirable properties than the original metal (ex. stronger, more ductil
These materials are mined in the United States and imported from other countries every day. These numbers are from a variety of sources.
By: Christine McLelland, Subaru Distinguished Earth Science Educator, Geological Society of America. [email protected]. Some weight figures from Western Mining Council,
THESE ARE THE ONES YOU NEED RESPONSES TOO
Really liked your points, especially the idea that the line should be drawn when environmental harm outweighs the reasonable benefit of the resource, or when safer alternatives exist. That's a clear, practical standard rather than a vague "do less harm" statement.
Your point about recycled aluminum and copper was a good one too, since those materials can be reused indefinitely without losing quality, so relying on virgin materials when recovery is possible really is hard to justify.
I also agreed with your take on shared responsibility. Placing it on manufacturers and mining companies first makes sense, since they have the most visibility and control, while still holding governments and consumers accountable for their part.
I agree that responsibility should not fall on just one group. I think manufacturers have an especially important role because they can influence which materials are used to produce vehicles. Consumers can make better choices, but they may not always have enough information or money to choose the most environmentally friendly option. Companies should therefore be responsible for making ethical choices before the product reaches the consumer.