Water Development: A Philosophical and Ethical Issue

Abstract:

As one reviewer said about John McPhee's Encounters With the Archdruid:"So the real issues relate to what is natural? How should lands be used? What role do humans have in using, caring for, being part of the land and can we do so responsibly?" This quote applies equally to more than just land development -- it applies to water project too.

Although Marc Reisner wrote Cadillac Desert in 1986, the lessons it presents about water development are current today. Not much has changed really in the past three decades. People still live in arid places where, perhaps, they should not live. Engineers still redesign nature to meet human needs, only to find out later that there are unintended consequences. About the only thing that has changed is that today the Bureau of Reclamation and other agencies do not spend megabucks to construct huge water projects. And, insignificant by comparison, some restoration and dam removal projects have begun on a limited scale.

We developed an exercise, based on selected chapters from Reisner’s book and a video derived from the book, to help students develop critical thinking and ethical reasoning skills. As we did so, we realized that there was much more that could be included. The ethical dilemmas associated with water development and related engineering projects are many. So, now, the original exercise has been expanded to 7 units.

The original five units are based on Cadillac Desert. The sixth is based on a recent great documentary film, DamNation. The last unit is inspired by a terrific chapter from John McPhee’s 1971 book Encounters with the Archdruid. The format is that student read articles and book chapters and then write responses to questions designed to get them to reflect on what they read. So, the exercises may be assigned as homework, but for the most value there must be some significant group discussions. If all units are used, this provides several weeks of homework for students, but instructors may cherry pick the units they wish to use. They pretty much stand alone – except that the last two tie everything together and call for more thought by the students.