Engineering ethics

[Type the document title]

Table of Contents

Introduction 3-4

· Background on sanitation issues

Proposal 4-6

· 3-point plan

· Cost analysis

Recommendations on execution of the project 7

Importance of the Project 8

References 9

( 3 ) ( 2 ) ( 1 )Introduction

Access to proper sanitation is one of our basic rights. The issue of sanitation is accepted by many countries and influential institutions around the globe. Sanitation is one of the goals laid out by the United Nations as a Millennium Development goal for the entire world to complete. "Halv[ing], by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation" is a top priority for the world (UN.org). Target 7.C as its technically labeled is one of the many targets that the entire world will not reach by 2015. Many developing countries with chronic sanitation problems are woefully behind schedule. Countries like India, Nigeria, Ghana, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and many other countries, primarily in South East Asia and Africa, have not made significant amount of progress towards the goal. With only a year left to achieve the goal, most analysts and observers expect the goal not to be met. In 1990, 46% of the world lacked what the United Nations deemed improved sanitation (World Health Organization). By 2008 the number fell all the way to 38% (World Health Organization). However, in order to reach the goal set, the percent of people lacking improved sanitation must fall to 23% by 2015. Achieving a decade's worth of progress is a behemoth task and it obvious that the 2015 goal will not be reached. Nonetheless, every effort must be put forth in order to complete the goal as quickly possible. Every minute wasted will result in lives lost to curable and most importantly preventable diseases. Thus, it is imperative that governments fully utilize or at least part of the proposal to ameliorate the sanitation problem plaguing the developing world.

Sanitation is one of the underfunded and overlooked goals. Although clean water has been given a lot of attention and funding over the past few decades, sanitation budgets have been stagnant. According to Rose George, a journalist, 75% to 90% of sanitation budgets go towards clean water while only 10%-25% go towards toilet (George 2013). As a result, over 2.5 billion people across the globe lack the proper facilities to defecate (UN.org). According to the UN report, from 1990 to 2012 more than 2.3 billion people had access to improved drinking water. However, the same cannot be stated about sanitation (UN.org). Even though significant strides have been made on the sanitation front, many critical hurdles still exist. It is estimated that over one billion people around the globe practice open defecation on a daily basis (UN.org). In India alone, over 60% of the 845 million rural population practices open defecation. The lack of sanitation and spread of open defecation is a result of governmental failure in planning and funding. A UN report found " The 28 countries accounting for 90% of people without basic sanitation received only 47% of water and sanitation aid" (Water.org).

( 4 )Proposal

In order to complete the goal in a timely manner a country like India and other countries with a large population that practice has to be targeted heavily. The proposal has four steps that aim to address prior failures and improve sanitation conditions. Most importantly, the proposal aims to eliminate the practice of open defecation and spread awareness of sanitation.

Part one of the Proposal:

Foremost, I propose that E-toilets with coin acceptors must be widely given out across rural India as communal bathrooms. In the past, NGO's, charities and governments have tried giving aid for private individual bathrooms. However, in majority of the instances, the bathrooms were not being used. The aid subsidized bathrooms were either turned into rooms or gutted and sold. The result is expected since a large portion of rural in developing countries live on less than a dollar a day. Proposing that governments provide communal bathrooms is far more effective and has higher rates of compliance. Communal bathrooms make defecation a community and social issue. Hence, greater compliance is garnered since it becomes a communal behavior. Providing a village with communal bathrooms also spreads far greater awareness than handing out bathrooms for a select few families. Additionally, in majority of the instances where bathrooms were given, the primary cause in decline usage was improper maintenance of the toilets. Hence, I propose that the E-toilets charge a nominal fee per user in and the proceeds be used for maintenance. The cost of each E-toilet is around $8200 dollars and includes complete installation. The cost of communal bathrooms is expected to go down as the number of units increase.

( 5 )Part two of the proposal:

As with any campaign, a strong marketing plan amplifies and acts as a catalyst for the desired change. Hence, along with the E-toilets a large scale marketing effort must be put forth by the respective governments. Each toilet on its sides must be equipped with marketing material. One side should present the users a mini tutorial on how to use the toilet. The other three sides should contain the benefits of using a toilet instead of open defecation. Furthermore, each government should heavily spend money on public service announcements that aim to increase the use of the communal toilets. The marketing campaign should request celebrities and influential members in society to partake in the advertising to the promote the cause of sanitation. According to a researcher at Harvard, having a influential person like an athlete in an advertising campaign helped brands get sales "rise with more than 20 percent after teaming up with an endorser" (Elberse 2009). Thus, it is imperative to have a comprehensive advertising campaign that includes endorsements from influential members of the community. Steps like mini lessons about sanitations in government schools in rural India should be a part of the advertising campaign. In order to comply with the sustainable portion of the goal, getting the younger generation involved is essential to success. The cost for the marketing material that surrounds the E-toilet is included in the price of each machine. The cost of other marketing material would come from public service advertising fund that most governments already allocate. Majority of endorsers would be signed on a volunteer basis. Thus, the overall net financial impact of marketing sanitation would be minimal. Majority of the marketing fund would come from redirecting already allocated public service announcement funding.

( 6 )Part Three of the proposal

In the developed world it normal to expect that places like malls, restaurants, gas stations, and grocery markets have lavatories. However, in majority of the developing world, toilets are not in ever store or office. The lack of sufficient lavatories in establishments in offices has caused open defecation to be a problem even in urban centers. Thus, I propose that governments mandate that every new house built in urban and rural areas must have adequate restrooms built. In countries where such a mandate exists, enforcement of the mandate must be ramped up. Furthermore, governments should mandate that new eating establishments, malls, supermarkets, private and public offices must have employee and public bathrooms built. The proposal regrets not recommending the mandates on existing establishments. However, such a recommendation would be replied with hostility towards the entire proposal by many governments. Mandating existing establishments to place sufficient restrooms would be political upheaval in many developing countries struggling to brush off economic woes. The mandates proposed above will play an essential role in eliminating future sanitary problems, especially in urban centers. The cost of the mandates are fairly minuscule since they do not escalate the cost of building excessively. Not only that but having lavatories might increase customer foot traffic and the amount of time a customer spends at a particular establishment.

( 7 )Recommendations on Execution of the Proposal

First, government should make a sample of specific villages that would be good for a pilot run of the proposal. The pilot villages should be a diverse group of villages so appropriate data can be garnered through the program. After selecting the villages, all of the three proposals should be adopted in the villages. Each village's E-toilet allocation should be determined through population metrics. E-toilets should be placed in government schools, public offices, and open spaces so people can use them openly without fear. During the pilot project, many metrics including literacy rate, economic growth, diarrheal disease rate and rates of participation will be taken. The data should be collected for at least one year in the pilot villages. The respective governments should utilize the data to make any changes to the proposal that would garner better results. After the pilot project, governments should roll out the proposal by using current statistics on diarrheal diseases. Rural areas with high rates of diarrheal disease or open defecation should get the E-toilets first. In order to reduce expenditure and fully utilize the money spent on marketing, the marketing should be localized to the areas of the program.

Funding for the program can be raised via numerous mechanisms. Governments already allocate sanitation development budgets. The sanitation budgets could be expanded or redirected towards the proposal. In addition, governments can raise money through the use of government infrastructure bonds. The bonds could be repaid using the income generated by charging the users of E-toilets a nominal fee. Also many charities like the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation are willing to aid governmental programs that aim to improve sanitation. Using the help of charities the governmental burden could be reduced. In brief, I recommend using all of the methods to raise money so the proposal can be adopted widely and quickly.

( 8 )Importance of Adopting the Proposal

Adopting the proposal laid out is essential in achieving the Millennium goals set by the United Nations. The proposal also is a good policy for many developing countries for number of reasons. Foremost, as a result of open defecation diarrheal diseases killed 1.5 million under the age of five in 2004, the same as the number of deaths due to HIV/AIDS (UNICEF.org). According to the UN, currently 1800 kids under the age of five die each day as result of diarrheal diseases caused by lack of proper sanitation (UN.org). Adopting the proposal will reduce the number of deaths significantly. Moreover, the reduction in child deaths will decrease infant mortality, another health goal of many countries. The reduction in deaths will lead to economic stimulation. A person is more productive to the economy when alive than dead. Most importantly, the strain on health budgets will be reduced as a result of fewer diarrheal diases. Hence, the money that goes to treat illnesses caused by open defecation could go towards fighting other diseases. The reduction in open defecation will also reduce water contamination. Furthermore, the proposal has the potential to increase literacy rates, especially in female populations. Many women drop out of school when they reach the age of puberty since many government schools lack proper sanitary facilities. However, with communal bathrooms in schools, girls can go back to school. Thus, an educated population will further bolster the economic engine of the country. The adoption of the proposal would also create numerous jobs in manufacturing the toilets as well as maintenance of the toilets. The jobs would increase the popularity of the proposal since unemployment in rural areas is fairly high. Thus, it extremely imperative that developing countries like India adopt The Waste Project proposal to bolster their economics, improve sanitation and meet the Millennium goals.

( 9 )References

"2014 Data." WHO / UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme: Www.wssinfo.org. United Nations, 2014. Web. 31 Aug. 2014.

"Access to Sanitation." UN News Center. UN, 2013. Web. 31 Aug. 2014.

Elberse, Anita. "Risks and Rewards of Celebrity Endorsements." CNN. Cable News Network, 16 Dec. 2009. Web. 31 Aug. 2014.

George, Rose. "Let's Talk Crap. Seriously." Rose George:. TED Talks, Feb. 2013. Web. 31 Aug. 2014.

"In the Market for Proper Sanitation." WHO. World Health Organization, 3 Mar. 2010. Web. 27 Aug. 2014.

"United Nations Millennium Development Goals." UN News Center. United Nations, 2013. Web. 29 Aug. 2014.

"Water.org." Water.org. Water.org. Web. 27 Aug. 2014.

The Healthier Campus Project Proposal

To: Office of Student Affairs & Drexel Campus Dining

3210 Chestnut St.

Philadelphia, PA 19104

Proposed by:

Drexel University, Junior

B.S. Biological Sciences

Date: Wednesday September 3rd, 2014

Purpose:

The purpose of this proposal is to request permission to perform a study evaluating student opinions on food options served the Handschumacher Dining Hall at Drexel University.

Contents:

I. Summary…………………………………………………………………………… Page 2

II. Introduction ……………………….…………………………………………...Pages 2-4

III. Proposed Project……………………………………………………………….…Pages 4-6

IV. Project Schedule……………………………………………………………..............Page 6

V. Overview of Costs………………………...………………………………...……Pages 6-7

VI. Discussion……………………………………………………………..................Pages 7-8

VII. References…………………………………………………………...........................Page 8

I. Summary:

Obesity is a major concern across the nation. This is due to its association with increased health complications. Many students leaving home and entering college for the first time tend to experience a weight gain commonly known as the “Freshman 15”. Multiple studies have indicated that a majority of students gain weight and the average weight gained is 9lbs (Racette et al., 2010). The data also shows that students in different years of college gain weight.

This is a proposed study to survey the Freshman and Sophomore classes attending Drexel University. During the study, student’s opinions on the food options served at the Handschumacher Dining Hall at Drexel University will be assessed. In addition, nutritional knowledge and the implications of obesity will also be assessed. This study will take place over the course of Fall and Winter terms during the 2014-2015 Academic year at Drexel University. It will take about six months and will cost approximately $3,087.00. The goals of this study are to voice the student opinion on food choice on campus, implement healthier food options served at the dining hall, teach the physiological and/or psychological effects of weight gain, and create a healthier campus. This study can have positive effects on Drexel’s campus by shedding light on the improvements which can be made to help maintain a healthier campus.

II. Introduction:

Many teens graduating from high school will have different concerns about their freshman year of college: Should I join Greek Life? Will I do well in class? Will I like my roommate? One of the more serious concerns that is often joked about and pushed to the side is the “Freshman 15”. Obesity is a major health concern in the United States as it can lead to many health complications. Weight gain effects people of all ages and can be reduced by choosing healthier food choices.

Weight gain is more prevalent in college than is believed. A study conducted by Racette et al. at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri followed 764 college students during their Freshman and Sophomore years to monitor weight gain and behavioral patterns. The participants were 18 years old, Freshman at Washington University, and represented all 50 states and more than 110 counties. In the beginning of the study, 70% reported eating fewer than five fruits and 50% reported eating fast food at least three times during the week. Of the 764 participants, 290 returned their sophomore year and were reassessed. The study found that approximately 70% of the 290 participants had gained on average about 9lbs. This study is one of many that demonstrate how common weight gain is in a college community is. (Racette et al., 2010)

Julie Janeway and Haleigh Mistry authors of “Preventing the Freshman 5, 10, 15, 40” researched why college students tend to gain weight. Their findings indicate that major sources of weight gain in college come from eating late at night, eating unhealthy cafeteria food, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, and fast food delivery to dorm rooms (Janeway and Mistry, n.d.). Janeway and Mistry also mention that lack of exercise and poor nutritional education attribute to poor diets and unhealthy eating (Janeway and Mistry, n.d.). Reflecting back to freshman year of college, many of the unhealthy food choices made my many of my peers as well as myself were because the food at the dining hall was unappealing. Also, there was an excess of coupons available for cheap fast food which was delivered right to the residence hall. This made it easier to avoid eating at the dining hall.

Weight gain in college can also be attributed to students being on their own for the first time. When living at home, many parents prepare a well balanced meal reflecting the necessary food groups. When a freshman first leaves for college, they are completely independent. There is no one around to tell them to eat healthier or prepare food for them. Due to a lack of nutrition education, students often make poor choices in food.

Many students do not understand the effects that fatty foods and lack of exercise have on your body. Weight gain is harmful to the body and can cause many serious problems during college years or later during adulthood. Obesity has been linked to serious conditions such as Type II Diabetes, Hypertension, Coronary Heart Disease and increased risk of Stroke (Kawachi, 1999).

I will be proposing a study to survey Freshman and Sophomores on the food options served at the Handschumacher dining hall at Drexel University. This study will also assess student knowledge on nutrition and obesity. The purpose of this study is to indicate what food options students would prefer to see in the dining hall that would help them make healthier food choices. It will also assess how knowledgeable students are on nutrition and the harmful effects of obesity. This project hopes to accomplish the creation of new menu items for students eating at the dining hall. It also aims to create opportunities for students to learn about the effects of weight gain and obesity. The overall goal of the study is to make Drexel a healthier campus.

III. Proposed Project:

With the approval of the University, the following tasks will be performed to complete the study over a six month period beginning in September 2014 and ending in March 2015.

Task 1: Research Obesity and compile a survey

A portion of this task has already been completed. A list of articles from medical journals illustrating why Obesity happens in the college community have been compiled. The next step would be to create a non-biased survey. The survey will contain free response questions as well as ranking questions based on a scale with choices ranging from “rarely” to “very often” in terms of occurrences. The survey will reflect questions such as: Do you feel as though you have gained weight since coming to college? What do you think are some factors attributing to your weight gain? Do you think there is an adequate amount of healthy food options served at the dining hall? How often do you order food to your dorm as opposed to going to the dining hall?

Task 2: Survey Student Opinions on Dining Hall Food & Obesity Awareness

The study will consist of two surveys for the Freshman class and one survey for the Sophomore class. I would like to survey the Freshman twice to see their thoughts on the food options at Drexel at the beginning of their first year versus halfway through their first year. I will survey the Sophomores only once to see their opinions on their freshman year and anything they would have changed. The surveys for the Freshman will be distributed in the dining hall, twice a week for one month from the hours of 12pm-2pm. This will ensure a represented population size and adequate amount of students. The survey for the Sophomore class will be distributed electronically via their Drexel email.

At the end of each survey, students will be eligible for a gift card. In the study mentioned earlier conducted by Racette et al. at the University of Washington in St. Louis, Missouri, students were compensated with bookstore gift certificates or small cash stipends in exchange for height and weight measurements (Dryden, 2005). This helped increase their population size while showing gratitude for participation. Freshman participating in the first survey will receive a $5 gift card to Starbucks after turning in the survey. The Freshman participating in the second survey will receive a $5 gift card to Chipotle. Sophomores will have the choice of either the Starbucks or Chipotle gift card and will have a link leading to the gift card after the survey has been submitted. The gift cards will be tokens of gratitude for participating in the survey and helping make a difference.

Task 3: Analyze the Data and Prepare a Recommendation Report to Present to the University

The results of this survey will be analyzed using a program called “Graphpad”. This is a program that allows users to make graphs and run statistical analyses. This is a high quality program which I have used before during my co-ops. Overall, this study will take approximately six months to complete. The study would begin in September 2014 and end during March 2015. The results would then be presented to the Student Affairs board and the Drexel Campus Dining office in April 2015.

IV. Project Schedule:

Figure 1 is the timeline of tasks to be completed during the study.

	Task	Sept.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Jan.	Feb.	Mar.	Apr.
1	Research Obesity
2	Compile 2 Surveys
3	Distribute Survey #1 (Freshman & Sophomores)
4	Distribute Survey #2 (Freshman)
5	Analyze Data
6	Compile Improvement Options
7	Present Results

Figure 1. Proposed Project Schedule

V. Overview of Costs:

The budget costs reflect a survey population of 200 students in each class. Paper and pens would only be utilized for the Freshman class because the Sophomore class surveys will be distributed electronically. The estimated cost for gift cards may vary if coupons can be obtained. A co-op will be needed to help collect surveys at the Handschumacher Dining Hall and assist in compiling the data. The initial budget is outlined in Figure 2 reflecting a total cost of $3,087.00 for the materials needed.

	Pricing	Anticipated Costs
1 Co-op	Unpaid	$0.00
Paper	10¢/side (Drexel Library)	$40.00
Pens	$6.99 for 60 pens (Staples)	$47.00
Starbucks Giftcards	$5.00	$2,000.00
Chipotle Giftcards	$5.00	$1,000.00
Total Cost:	$3,087.00

Figure 2. Budget Overview for Proposed Project

VI. Discussion:

This proposed study is needed to help create a healthier campus. Many decisions are made in college that affects the rest of a student’s life. These decisions include their choices in food. Poor diets and lack of exercise are factors that can influence a student’s health and cause conditions later in adulthood such as Diabetes, Hypertension, or Stroke.

This study will benefit Drexel in many ways. Following the study, new food items and dining options will be introduced into the dining hall. These new food options will reflect the results of the survey which specifically asked students what they would like to see in the dining hall. This would benefit Drexel because it would encourage students to go to the dining hall for a meal rather than spending money on outside restaurants. If students enjoy the food served at the dining hall during their freshman year, it will encourage them to purchase a dining plan the following years at school.

Finally, this study could also create opportunities for students to learn about the serious effects of weight gain. One way for students to learn about the harmful effects of obesity would be a seminar at New Student Orientation held during the summer right before coming to Drexel. The seminar would detail nutritional skills, exercise techniques and the effects of obesity. This would be a positive addition to Orientation because it would influence students to choose the healthiest food choices and avoid increased risks for harmful health conditions.

Overall, the central idea surrounding this study is to create a healthier campus. Weight gain is a serious hazard to health. This study will help students combat against the weight gain using their knowledge and available resources which will help them live a healthier lifestyle while at Drexel.

VII. References:

Dryden, J. (2005, September 8). Study finds most students gain weight during early college

years. Retrieved August 23, 2014, from http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/5690.aspx

How Excess Weight Affects Your Health. (n.d.). Retrieved August 24, 2014, from

http://www.helpguide.org/harvard/extra_pounds_health_woes.htm

Kawachi, I. (1999). Physical and psychological consequences of weight gain. The Journal of

Clinical Psychiatry, 60(21), 5-9. Retrieved August 24, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10548135

Janeway. J., & Mistry, H. (n.d.). Preventing the Freshman 5, 10, 15, 40. Obesity Action

Coalition. Retrieved July 31, 2014, from http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource-articles-2/weight-loss-surgery/preventing-the-freshman-5-10-15-40

O'Connor, A. (2012, September 26). 70% of Students Gain Weight During College: Study.

Retrieved August 23, 2014, from http://news.health.com/2012/09/26/college-gain-weight/

Racette, S., Deusinger, S., Strube, M., Highstein, G., & Deusinger, R. (2010). Weight Changes,

Exercise, And Dietary Patterns During Freshman And Sophomore Years Of

College. Journal of American College Health, 53(6), 245-251. Retrieved August 23, 2014, from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3200/JACH.53.6.245-251

Smith, J. (2014, June 18). Printing from Computers in the Libraries. Retrieved August 23, 2014,

from http://www.library.drexel.edu/about/printing.html

Staples® Ballpoint Stick Pens, Medium Point, Blue, 60/Pack | Make More Happen at Staples®.

(n.d.). Retrieved August 23, 2014, from http://www.staples.com/Staples-Ballpoint-Stick-Pens-Medium-Point-Blue-60-Pack/product_343799