MORAL IMPLICATIONS

identify and analyse the relevant moral implications associated with environmental, social and economic issues in the design and use of a product;

1 X A3 SHEET or PP 8 MARKS

PAGE 5 MORAL IMPLICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ISSUES

• THIS IS THE ONE PAGE WHICH DOES NOT WORK AT ALL ON SCREEN

• THE BACKGROUNDS ARE SUBTLE AND DO ADD TO THE AESTHETIC APPEAL OF THE PAGE - HOWEVER:

• COMBINED WITH THE SIZE OF FONT- 9 PT 9pt

• AND THE COLOUR PINK/RED IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT/ IMPOSSIBLE TO READ

• MODERATORS WILL FIND IT INCONVENIENT TO COME OUT OF SLIDE SHOW TO USE ZOOM

• THIS SLIDE WOULD WORK IF THE FONT SIZE WAS INCREASED AND THE SPARE SPACE USED UP

• BLACK WOULD BE A BETTER COLOUR IF THE BACKGROUND STAYS

IDENTIFYING AND ANALYSING CERTAIN MORAL IMPLICATIONS

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES SOCIAL ISSUES ECONOMIC ISSUESEnvironmental responsibility means ensuring that our actions and lifestyles do not have such a negative impact on the environment that the planet's resources are being used at unsustainable rates e.g. choosing materials and methods which cause as little pollution as possible or reducing our energy usage and developing renewable energy sources so that we reduce our use of fossil fuels

Social responsibility means ensuring that other people's quality of life and human rights are not compromised to fulfil our expectations and demands - e.g. buying products and food which has been fairly traded, and manufactured in good conditions.

Economic responsibility means ensuring that there is an economic benefit both to the region from which the purchase came and to the region in which it is marketed. Is the process economically fair to everyone involved? Is anyone being exploited? (This is of course also a social issue as well). Can production be done at a price that people can afford?

Sourcing Materials

Extracting the materials needed for products has a large impact on the environment, whether this is mining for oil or coal, deforestation in large areas or quarrying for stone it all has an effect on the environment. My product is made from plastic and a small amount of sprung steel, the plastic needed for the peg will have a large effect on the environment because it evolves the extraction of the non-renewable material crude oil. This means that the planets non-renewable sources are being used up more and more. The good point is that this can be recycled if the user has the time to do so which helps the environment more than if it were to be made from wood for example which is harder recycle.

Manufacturing

All processes that use energy in the production process e.g. machining have an effect on the environment, the energy that is needed to run the machines has to be produced and this often involves the use of raw materials and all adds pollution to the environment. The production of my clothes peg uses injection moulding which means that there is less waste materials than in other production methods, the off cuts can be melted down and used again so there is little waste. Water is used to cool injection molding machines – sometimes it is recycled, often it is just goes down the drain. The process does use a lot of energy as powering a furnace of this temperature takes a lot of energy which is harmful for the environment. There is also some toxic fumes produced during the melting down of the plastic. Energy can be saved by using natural resources e.g. wind power or hydro power some factories will have a river outside that can be connected to a turbine to create energy this water can then be recycled.

Distribution and sale

Simply getting the product from the farm or factory to the place it will be used has an environmental impact. The distance the product has to travel has a big effect, the further it has to travel the more impact it has on the environment. My product is produced in china so the transportation mileage is very high it has to travel thousands of miles to reach its destination in the UK to then be distributed to different shops which pollutes the environment further. The product is packaged in a polythene bag with a cardboard insert containing information about the product, the packaging also has to be produced and may have been made in a different location making the total mileage of the product very high.

Using the product

Often the greatest environmental impact of a product comes from actually using it. Cars and planes, for example, use more fossil fuels and cause more pollution during their lifetimes than they do when being made. My product does not fall in the same category as the plane or a car, the main issue concerning the product is that it is not long lasting, parts break easily and are not replaceable you would have to buy a hole new peg or set of pegs if one broke this means more pollution and thus making it a not very environmentally friendly product. The product is not easy to repair or service when it breaks it is useless it may be glued together but this will only last a very short period of time or will not last at all, most people will just buy a new set.

Disposing of the product

Too many products are thrown away at the end of their useful lives. They often end up in landfill sites, and can ultimately cause pollution. There are alternatives. After the product has been used, it can sometimes be reused (such as milk bottles that are collected, washed and sterilized, and then reused). The deposing of my product is the main concern regarding the environment. If the product is not disposed of properly it will have a detrimental effect on the environment. The product is easily recyclable as it is made from recyclable materials unlike its wooden counterpart, it has three components that are all very easy to separate into the 3 pieces. The two plastic pieces are easily melted down to be made into different products, the metal spring can also me melted down or used to make a new peg. If the product is not recycled it will end up on landfill sites the plastic material will take many years to break down. The main problem is that the product is so small that it will just be thrown away in normal household rubbish when it breaks thus contributing to the land fill sites and meaning that more raw materials have to be extracted to produce other plastic products.

Is the Product Really Needed? Not really = bad. Useful = good

Some products do more damage than good, for example if we use a product just too dispose of it in under an hour it is usually doing more harm than good, e.g. packaging do we really need all that packaging that just ends up on landfill sites. The designers of my product have not used so much packaging on the product and all of the packaging is fully recyclable which helps the environment and will appeal to the eco-friendly market. I believe that the product is one that is USEFUL we would not be able to hang clothes up outside without it, it helps the environment because it stops people using tumble dryers when they can use the natural resources outside of the home to dry their clothing. It also saves time and space in the home.

Sociability -Diminishes (bad) Promotes (good)

Different products have different degrees of sociability, the ipod is a product that does not allow the user to be sociable, when using the ipod you are unable to communicate to others and listen to it at the same time which makes it a very un sociable product. The clothes peg on the other hand allows you to be social in some circumstances, If you live in a long terrace of house with the gardens in close proximity to each other this will allow you when using the clothes peg to meet the neighbors and start a conversation.

Basic Rights And Freedoms

Every person has a right to basic freedoms - enough to eat, safety, care (especially the young and old), a place to live. These are enshrined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This includes also the right to education and, for adults, a job, fair pay, and the right to vote and so on. As with any other right everybody has the right to use there garden how they won't and is this evolves using it to dry their clothing then that is fine because they have the right to do so. Some people may feel they are obstructing peoples views or blocking country views by putting their washing up too dry in their own back garden but this is perfectly fine and people should not resort to drying washing inside because they feel pressured to do so by neighbors.

Does it create jobs?

Developing, making, using and disposing of a new product will have an impact on jobs. For example, when electricity replaced the gas lamp to light homes and streets many people's jobs disappeared (people who lit the street lamps, gas mantle manufacturers). But new jobs appeared. Many modern products are manufactured by computer controlled systems (CAM), resulting in the loss of jobs for skilled workers in factories. As the product is made buy injection molding, this means there is very little job opportunities in the actual production of the product as the machines do all the work. The only benefit is that it takes skilled laborers to make the intricate moulds that are used in the process this gives jobs in this area but when they are made there is very little jobs opportunities as it is a very capital intensive procedure. This means the product is not a great benefit for the local economy in regards to providing jobs.

Exploitation/Fair Trade

•Many products that we buy are manufactured by people who are badly paid and who work in poor conditions. Trade unions can help to get better pay and conditions, but in many places workers are not allowed to join a trade union.

At the other end of the scale there are fair-traded products.

•Here everyone involved is properly paid, enjoys safe working conditions and often some of the profits are re- invested in the community, paying for health services, education or training. This product is produced in china it is easy to make and the firm that produces this will have the sole intention to make a profit, this is why they produce it in china where they can get away with paying people less for what they do which is not fair on the workforce or the economy in great Britain where jobs are needed. The production of this product is not one that exploits workers as poorly as some e.g. people working in sweatshop conditions but there is still room for improvement.

Use of resources

Many products are highly inefficient. Too much material is used. Too much energy or water is used in their manufacture or use. Producing and using them can cause pollution. This all makes the product more expensive. My product is one that does use the non-renewable resource crude oil, this means that every one that is made contributes to the loss of are crude oil supply’s that will one day run out. The procedure of injection molding is one that uses a lot of energy as it takes a lot of it to heat up the plastic to high temperatures. It also uses water in the process that may be recycled or just end up down the drain which ends up as being a waste of resources. There is definitely room for improvement to make this a more efficient product as it does not score very highly at the moment.

Sold for a Profit

A product that sells at less than it costs to make is not sustainable - unless it is subsidized. For example, in some countries the price of basic food is kept down by the state giving money (subsidies) to the manufacturer. Or public transport might be subsidized to keep fares down for passengers. These subsidies are paid from taxes.

Alternatively the product (like a printer for a computer) might be sold at less than cost, but the company makes its profits through selling 'consumables' (ink cartridges). A more sustainable product is one that can be made and sold at a profit to the manufacturer. The particular product that I am studying is one that when sold makes a lot of profit, it is very easy to make and cheap to make so makes a profit when being sold. Another definition of sustainable is ‘sustainable growth’ this means the growth of an economy that does not harm the environment for further generations. This fact makes my product not very sustainable if it is not recycled but on the other hand if it is recycled it is very sustainable as it is sold for a profit and does not harm the environment for the future generation.

Sourcing Materials

Extracting the materials needed for products has a large impact on the environment, whether this is mining for oil or coal, deforestation in large areas or quarrying for stone it all has an effect on the environment. My product is made from plastic and a small amount of sprung steel, the plastic needed for the peg will have a large effect on the environment because it evolves the extraction of the non-renewable material crude oil. This means that the planets non-renewable sources are being used up more and more. The good point is that this can be recycled if the user has the time to do so which helps the environment more than if it were to be made from wood for example which is harder recycle.

Manufacturing

All processes that use energy in the production process e.g. machining have an effect on the environment, the energy that is needed to run the machines has to be produced and this often involves the use of raw materials and all adds pollution to the environment. The production of my clothes peg uses injection moulding which means that there is less waste materials than in other production methods, the off cuts can be melted down and used again so there is little waste. Water is used to cool injection molding machines – sometimes it is recycled, often it is just goes down the drain. The process does use a lot of energy as powering a furnace of this temperature takes a lot of energy which is harmful for the environment. There is also some toxic fumes produced during the melting down of the plastic. Energy can be saved by using natural resources e.g. wind power or hydro power some factories will have a river outside that can be connected to a turbine to create energy this water can then be recycled.

Distribution and sale

Simply getting the product from the farm or factory to the place it will be used has an environmental impact. The distance the product has to travel has a big effect, the further it has to travel the more impact it has on the environment. My product is produced in china so the transportation mileage is very high it has to travel thousands of miles to reach its destination in the UK to then be distributed to different shops which pollutes the environment further. The product is packaged in a polythene bag with a cardboard insert containing information about the product, the packaging also has to be produced and may have been made in a different location making the total mileage of the product very high.

Using the product

Often the greatest environmental impact of a product comes from actually using it. Cars and planes, for example, use more fossil fuels and cause more pollution during their lifetimes than they do when being made. My product does not fall in the same category as the plane or a car, the main issue concerning the product is that it is not long lasting, parts break easily and are not replaceable you would have to buy a hole new peg or set of pegs if one broke this means more pollution and thus making it a not very environmentally friendly product. The product is not easy to repair or service when it breaks it is useless it may be glued together but this will only last a very short period of time or will not last at all, most people will just buy a new set.

IDENTIFYING AND ANALYSING CERTAIN MORAL IMPLICATIONS

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

SOCIAL ISSUES

ECONOMIC ISSUES

Environmental responsibility means ensuring that our actions and lifestyles do not have such a negative impact on the environment that the planet's resources are being used at unsustainable rates e.g. choosing materials and methods which cause as little pollution as possible or reducing our energy usage and developing renewable energy sources so that we reduce our use of fossil fuels

Social responsibility means ensuring that other people's quality of life and human rights are not compromised to fulfil our expectations and demands - e.g. buying products and food which has been fairly traded, and manufactured in good conditions.

Economic responsibility means ensuring that there is an economic benefit both to the region from which the purchase came and to the region in which it is marketed. Is the process economically fair to everyone involved? Is anyone being exploited? (This is of course also a social issue as well). Can production be done at a price that people can afford?

Is the Product Really Needed? Not really = bad. Useful = good

Some products do more damage than good, for example if we use a product just too dispose of it in under an hour it is usually doing more harm than good, e.g. packaging do we really need all that packaging that just ends up on landfill sites. The designers of my product have not used so much packaging on the product and all of the packaging is fully recyclable which helps the environment and will appeal to the eco-friendly market. I believe that the product is one that is USEFUL we would not be able to hang clothes up outside without it, it helps the environment because it stops people using tumble dryers when they can use the natural resources outside of the home to dry their clothing. It also saves time and space in the home.

Sociability -Diminishes (bad) Promotes (good)

Different products have different degrees of sociability, the ipod is a product that does not allow the user to be sociable, when using the ipod you are unable to communicate to others and listen to it at the same time which makes it a very un sociable product. The clothes peg on the other hand allows you to be social in some circumstances, If you live in a long terrace of house with the gardens in close proximity to each other this will allow you when using the clothes peg to meet the neighbors and start a conversation.

Basic Rights And Freedoms

Every person has a right to basic freedoms - enough to eat, safety, care (especially the young and old), a place to live. These are enshrined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This includes also the right to education and, for adults, a job, fair pay, and the right to vote and so on. As with any other right everybody has the right to use there garden how they won't and is this evolves using it to dry their clothing then that is fine because they have the right to do so. Some people may feel they are obstructing peoples views or blocking country views by putting their washing up too dry in their own back garden but this is perfectly fine and people should not resort to drying washing inside because they feel pressured to do so by neighbors.

Does it create jobs?

Developing, making, using and disposing of a new product will have an impact on jobs. For example, when electricity replaced the gas lamp to light homes and streets many people's jobs disappeared (people who lit the street lamps, gas mantle manufacturers). But new jobs appeared. Many modern products are manufactured by computer controlled systems (CAM), resulting in the loss of jobs for skilled workers in factories. As the product is made buy injection molding, this means there is very little job opportunities in the actual production of the product as the machines do all the work. The only benefit is that it takes skilled laborers to make the intricate moulds that are used in the process this gives jobs in this area but when they are made there is very little jobs opportunities as it is a very capital intensive procedure. This means the product is not a great benefit for the local economy in regards to providing jobs.

Exploitation/Fair Trade

•Many products that we buy are manufactured by people who are badly paid and who work in poor conditions. Trade unions can help to get better pay and conditions, but in many places workers are not allowed to join a trade union.

At the other end of the scale there are fair-traded products.

•Here everyone involved is properly paid, enjoys safe working conditions and often some of the profits are re- invested in the community, paying for health services, education or training. This product is produced in china it is easy to make and the firm that produces this will have the sole intention to make a profit, this is why they produce it in china where they can get away with paying people less for what they do which is not fair on the workforce or the economy in great Britain where jobs are needed. The production of this product is not one that exploits workers as poorly as some e.g. people working in sweatshop conditions but there is still room for improvement.

Use of resources

Many products are highly inefficient. Too much material is used. Too much energy or water is used in their manufacture or use. Producing and using them can cause pollution. This all makes the product more expensive. My product is one that does use the non-renewable resource crude oil, this means that every one that is made contributes to the loss of are crude oil supply’s that will one day run out. The procedure of injection molding is one that uses a lot of energy as it takes a lot of it to heat up the plastic to high temperatures. It also uses water in the process that may be recycled or just end up down the drain which ends up as being a waste of resources. There is definitely room for improvement to make this a more efficient product as it does not score very highly at the moment.

Sold for a Profit

A product that sells at less than it costs to make is not sustainable - unless it is subsidized. For example, in some countries the price of basic food is kept down by the state giving money (subsidies) to the manufacturer. Or public transport might be subsidized to keep fares down for passengers. These subsidies are paid from taxes.

Alternatively the product (like a printer for a computer) might be sold at less than cost, but the company makes its profits through selling 'consumables' (ink cartridges). A more sustainable product is one that can be made and sold at a profit to the manufacturer. The particular product that I am studying is one that when sold makes a lot of profit, it is very easy to make and cheap to make so makes a profit when being sold. Another definition of sustainable is ‘sustainable growth’ this means the growth of an economy that does not harm the environment for further generations. This fact makes my product not very sustainable if it is not recycled but on the other hand if it is recycled it is very sustainable as it is sold for a profit and does not harm the environment for the future generation.

Disposing of the product

Too many products are thrown away at the end of their useful lives. They often end up in landfill sites, and can ultimately cause pollution. There are alternatives. After the product has been used, it can sometimes be reused (such as milk bottles that are collected, washed and sterilized, and then reused). The deposing of my product is the main concern regarding the environment. If the product is not disposed of properly it will have a detrimental effect on the environment. The product is easily recyclable as it is made from recyclable materials unlike its wooden counterpart, it has three components that are all very easy to separate into the 3 pieces. The two plastic pieces are easily melted down to be made into different products, the metal spring can also me melted down or used to make a new peg. If the product is not recycled it will end up on landfill sites the plastic material will take many years to break down. The main problem is that the product is so small that it will just be thrown away in normal household rubbish when it breaks thus contributing to the land fill sites and meaning that more raw materials have to be extracted to produce other plastic products.