>on 12/10/03 1:23 PM, J B at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > That is an interesting question. I think that as > > long the business is cooperatively owned, and you > > give information to resources about making > > home-biodiesel to individuals who would like to > > make it. It doesn't seem the least bit unethical > > to make biodiesel say for commercial buses or city > > buses or whatever for a profit.
Hi J B How could there be anything intrinsically wrong with making biodiesel for profit? Or indeed with commercialism? Cooperatives aren't the only ethical way to do business, nor absolute proof against unethical behaviour (though it helps). I wouldn't even agree with the proviso to make resources available to home-brewers. You could do all of those things and still be unethical, or do none of them and still be ethical. Anyway, that's not what William's asking. Have another look - it's copied below. >It's always interesting to me when someone asks >someone else what's ethical. Not that you should >ever hesitate, of course -- we're all in this >together. But the answers you get inevitably tell >you more about the OTHER person's situation than >they they do about your OWN. I think if you have >to ask the question, it suggests that you need >to search your own soul a bit more, with or >without external inputs. -K Ken, the fact that William's asking ethical questions is sure proof that his soul has not gone unsearched. I think you do have to ask questions, because there aren't any real answers - there are no ethical certainties. Being ethical is to be uncertain. If getting another person's point of view might shed a little more light, it's definitely worth trying. People are generally good-hearted and have good intentions, but most people can't take too much uncertainty. So it's interesting how, though William talked of ethics and didn't mention morals or morality, several of the responses are couched in moral terms. The difference between ethics and morals is that being moral does not require any soul-searching. It often has more to do with avoiding blame than really doing the right thing. All you have to do is follow the rules. Would that doing the right thing were that simple. This puts it rather clearly: >Ethical behavior may be defined as acting after thinking about what >would produce the greatest good for the greatest number effected. >Morals are a codification of prior ethical decisions, simplified >into easy-to-grasp rules. Morals exist because most people are very >uncomfortable with the uncertainties of attempting to figure out >what the right course of action might be, and most are reluctant to >take responsibility for having made mistakes. Being ethical means >making decisions based on inadeqeuate data and acting anyway. >Ethical actions frequently work out badly; the actor has no one to >blame for the results but themselves. Acting ethically while still >desiring certainties means being uncomfortable. Moral acts also >often work out badly. The apparent advantage to being moral is that >when a moral act works out badly no one is to blame because the >actor did what was supposed to be done. Being moral is comfortable >because a moral person always knows what should be done, did it and >is not to blame for the outcomes. (Steve Solomon) Or: "The difference between a moral man and a man of honor is that the latter regrets a discreditable act, even when it has worked and he has not been caught." H. L. Mencken (1880 - 1956), 'Prejudices: Fourth Series,' 1924 In business issues: >Market forces have no intrinsically moral direction, which is why, >before he wrote "The Wealth of Nations," Adam Smith wrote "The >Theory of Moral Sentiments." Ethics should precede economics. But it >doesn't have to. And it's not inevitable that it will. We know this >because we've seen the results of capitalism without conscience: the >pollution of the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we >eat; the endangerment of workers; and the sales of dangerous >products -- from cars to toys to drugs. All in pursuit of greater >and greater profits. -- From: Capitalism Without Conscience: It's Time For American Business To Clean Up Its Act, Arianna Huffington, Jul 25 2002 http://www.tompaine.com/feature.cfm/ID/6062 And this, which I've quoted before: "Small-scale capitalism works out fine, but as scale increases the departure from real capitalism becomes more pronounced---profits are privatized, but costs are socialized. The attendant repair and maintenance are left to succeeding generations if possible, if not, to present low and middle income taxpayers." - Tvo Many/most/all of us see qualitative as well as quantitative issues with biodiesel, that it has strong moral-ethical aspects. We don't want biodiesel or biofuels to become mere commodities flogged via "capitalism without conscience" for the sake of the bottom line and to hell with everything else. All thrown into stark relief by comparison with the ghastly example of the opposition, fossil-fuels. I'm glad William has asked these questions. Not simple questions, and no simple answers either, but I hope we can focus on it and bring some extra light to bear. Best Keith >Keith- > >First, I must take my hat off to you and everyone else involved in >the project and website. The wealth of information is amazing and I >hope that this information becomes common knowledge. Since becoming >interested in biofuels I find myself constantly dreaming of a United >States freed from the governmental control of the fossil fuel >industry. > >As I have begun my own personal journey to free myself from fossil >fuels (I recently purchased a 3/4 ton Dodge diesel specifically to >run on biodiesel) I have been approached by a friend who would like >to go into business producing biodiesel. > >My question is: Are (or rather, Would) we be crossing ethical lines >by producing biodiesel commercially (read: for profit)? > >Although we are a processor and system that is in many ways unique >from the processors that are described on this site and others that >have links on this site, most all of the inspiration has come from >this site. The basic chemical process will also most likely be >similar to the "recipes" given by Aleks Kac and Joshua Tickell >although we plan on using a filtering process to refine the >biodiesel to commercial specs as opposed to washing it. > >My original goal is still to produce biodiesel for personal use, but >if our ideas end up working as well as we think they will, I plan on >becoming and entrepreneur and do my part to make biodiesel a >mainstream option for the general public. I am afraid, however, >that I may upset some by turning a profit using methods and >information (although modified) by others. > >Thank you for your time and wonderful work >billyO ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. 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