Seminar 2 Ethics of Technology and Science February 11, 2016 Group 2 Martin Andersson Shaohui Chen Jessica Garcia Yuanyuan Han Sofia Kontos

Wind Energy AB is a leading company in green energy field. They want to use magnets made of Neodymium which is mainly produced in China. Moral problem related to: environment and impact on society.

The magnet will increase the energy efficiency transfer. But mining and processing of Neodymium will cause environment problem.

The case: Sofia is working on this project. She realized using Neodymium magnets will cause environmental problems. However, she can use the magnets to develop new technologies, whereas she can publish faster the results. Otherwise, she must conduct research on new magnets and this takes more time for her to publish the findings. Therefore, the focus is on basic research vs applied research.

Problem owner: Renewable Energy Industry & Researcher. The dilemma: To use or not Neodymium Magnets which are good for developing new technologies but damage the environment in China. Researcher’s interest or/and opportunities The environmental concerns that must be taken in consideration Questions: 1) For the industry, should they use the Neodymium magnets or not? 2) If you were Sofia, what will you do?

Autonomy Matrix Environmental concerns Research community Workers in mines in China Industry that will benefit from the technology ResearcherFunders Use themDestroy the ecosystem Develop new technologies & less CO2 emissions in the long run More applied research knowledge rather than contribute to basic research More people benefit from mining jobs Dangerous jobs & cause health problems Technological solutions such as: electric motors (hybrid cars) better generators (aircraft and wind turbine) Recognition from her work on technology development & other applications (patents) & opportunities jobs in the industry Good outcomes if they could make use of the research findings & keep good relation with funders Don’t use them Avoid damage from mining but traditional energy may cause more problems Progress of basic research but less research on applied field Health is ensured but they may be unemployed (-) profit But a good chance to develop new tech Getting findings of new material but spending more time Risk of no publication Put more € into this project but get environmental friendly generators Use old type of magnets For ex. Ferrous No Nd needed (-) pollution (-) green energy Limited applications Explore alternatives Don’t suffer pollution Good for their health Lose their jobs (-) profit (-) competitive Good reputation Lose the opportunity to study new magnets (Nd) & may lose funding Output of the project compromised.

Autonomy Matrix Environmental concerns Research community Workers in mines in China Industry that will benefit from the technology ResearcherFunders Do more research about other materials Can create sustainability More knowledge can be produced Feels bad, Lost jobs Old industry feels risk of losing position New industry in new location can benefit Feels morally right Worrying for career New research gets more money Likes fast results To have Nd, but look for a sustainable option Bad if they cannot be found Maybe not possible to avoid environmental impact Expensive? Focus might shift from material science to sustainable mining One research area may benefit at expense of the other Bad for workers if satisfying solutions cannot be found Difficult to optimize between the factors (nature, health, private economy, cost) Positive if solutions doesn’t increase the cost. Bad if does. Good for company’s goodwill if they care about environmental issues and people Possible to motivate (and get funding for) but difficult since new materials are not urgently needed Probably not urgent for today’s needs but for future scientist can benefit Need to considerate what options are most sustainable from all perspectives More difficult to decide what to give funding?

The best possible solution is… Thank you!