On the Road Without a Map: Why We Need an “Ethic of Road Ecology”

Over the past two decades, our knowledge of the ecological impacts of roads has increased rapidly. It is now clear that the environmental effects of transportation infrastructure are inextricable from transportation benefits to economic, social, and cultural values. Despite the necessity of optimizing these multiple values, road planners, scientists, and practitioners have no established methodology or pluralistic approach to address growing ethical complexities. We articulate five ethical issues that could be addressed by developing an ethic of road ecology in order to facilitate the identification, reasoning, and harmonization of ethical dimensions of road planning and development. This inquiry into road ecology can draw lessons from existing applied ethics, such as in ecological restoration and urban planning, to build a narrative that is informed by both science and ethics. We illustrate five ethical issues presented through case studies that elaborate on the motivations, responsibilities, and duties that should be considered in ethically and scientifically complicated road building decisions. To address these issues, we encourage the development of a code of ethics, dedicated intellectual forums, and practical guidance to assist road planners, and more broadly transportation practitioners, to resolve complex ethical quandaries systematically. We hope this perspective encourages conversation for a holistic yet pragmatic approach to this applied ethics problem, while also assisting responsible parties as they navigate difficult moral terrain.

Download Full-text

Expanding a Music Therapy Business Using AMTA’s Aspirational Code of Ethics

Music Therapy Perspectives ◽

10.1093/mtp/miaa001 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

pp. 34-37

Author(s):

Meredith Roman Pizzi

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

Ethical Issues ◽

Code Of Ethics ◽

Applied Ethics ◽

The United States ◽

Business Practices ◽

Music Therapists ◽

Ethical Decisions ◽

Therapy Services ◽

Trust Law

Abstract While all music therapists look to the Code of Ethics as a guiding document, music therapists who are self-employed or managing teams rely heavily on this document to create sound business and administrative policies. This article articulates how the 2019 Code of Ethics informs the music therapy entrepreneur or manager to make thoughtful, accountable, and ethical decisions, decreases confusion about specific business practices, and addresses significant concerns related to aspects of the previous AMTA Code of Ethics that were in conflict with federal anti-trust regulations in the United States, including the Sherman Anti-Trust Law. To address the legal and ethical issues inherent in expanding a service business, a discussion guided by the 2019 Code of Ethics and the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics (2009) model is provided as a way to think through potential ethical dilemmas when considering subcontracting music therapy services.

Download Full-text

A conceptual framework for understanding, assessing, and mitigating ecological effects of forest roads

Environmental Reviews ◽

10.1139/a10-002 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 18 (NA) ◽

pp. 61-86 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

C. Robinson ◽

P.N. Duinker ◽

K.F. Beazley

Keyword(s):

Conceptual Framework ◽

Forest Ecosystems ◽

Road Ecology ◽

Ecological Impact ◽

Road Construction ◽

Ecological Impacts ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Decision Matrix ◽

Forest Roads ◽

The Road

A review of road-ecology literature suggests that impacts of forest roads on species and ecosystems begin during the road construction phase, but persist and accumulate well after a road is no longer in use. Over this time, impacts stemming originally from construction, but then also from the continued physical presence and human use of the road, follow complex multiple pathways ending in diminished species persistence. Yet in practice, road-impact considerations rarely extend beyond short-term issues related to road construction or beyond the spatial extent of the road corridor. Even when the range of potential impacts is recognized, managers rarely have a framework for assessing those impacts. This can be problematic, as informed decisions regarding the long-term, wide-ranging ecological consequences of road placement, design, and use can lessen the degree to which a road modifies the composition, structure, and function of forest ecosystems. This paper presents a conceptual framework for organizing, synthesizing, and applying our growing understanding of how roads affect forest ecosystems. The framework includes two parts: (1) a series of impact-hypothesis diagrams wherein ecological impacts are organized relevant to three phases of road existence: construction, presence and use; and (2) a five-step approach whereby ecological impact and road importance can be evaluated and a decision matrix used to determine appropriate mitigation strategies. Highlights of a case study conducted in southwestern Nova Scotia are presented to illustrate the applicability of the framework.

Download Full-text

A Framework to Reduce Road Congestion by means of Data Analytics

Review of Education, Administration & LAW ◽

10.47067/real.v4i1.138 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 287-297

Author(s):

Anosha Arooj Yousaf ◽

Najia Saher ◽

Faisal Shahzad ◽

Sara Fareed

Keyword(s):

Traffic Congestion ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Data Analytics ◽

Road Traffic ◽

Image Data ◽

The Road ◽

Road Planning ◽

On The Road ◽

Critical Traffic ◽

Processing Techniques

The density of vehicles on the road especially in urban areas keeps on increasing to large amount day by day. Especially during the peak hours of the day, large amount of people wastes much of their time in traffic signals. Not only they waste energy by burning excess fuel and releasing CO2 emissions in the environment as well as their time and money. An idea has been proposed to monitor the traffic congestion by means of data analytics on image data and solve the critical traffic congestion issue. The CCTV or surveillance cameras installed at the top points on the roads acts as a medium to provide image data as an input to analyze road traffic congestion by counting the number of vehicles under specified interval of time. Monitoring of traffic congestion using image processing techniques is very useful for the future urban road planning such as: 1) if there is a need to make the road wider, 2) if there is a need to add more lanes on the road, 3) if there is need to make flyover or a bridge to control the traffic on the roads. It will help municipalities to structure and expansion of the roads.

Download Full-text

THE WIDTH OF EDGE EFFECTS OF ROAD CONSTRUCTION ON FAUNA AND ECOLOGICALLY CRITICAL ROAD DENSITY

Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management ◽

10.3846/16486897.2015.1054290 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 241-250 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Shyh-Chyang LIN

Keyword(s):

Road Construction ◽

Ecological Impacts ◽

Wire Mesh ◽

The Other ◽

Road Density ◽

The Road ◽

Planning And Design ◽

Habitat Conversion ◽

Road Planning ◽

Under Construction

This study investigates the ecological impacts of road construction by trapping rodents, invertebrates, and amphibians with wire-mesh traps and pitfalls along a road under construction on Kinmen island, Taiwan. The capture data show that the Brown country rat’s (Rattus losea) edge habitat is broader in woodland habitat next to farmland than it is in woodland next to the road. Similarly, most invertebrates captured were found within the woodland at an edge width of 15 m along the roadside and 35 m along the farmland. On the other hand, the Ornate rice frog (Microhyla ornate), which typically resides and forages in dim and humid environments, avoids edges. The edge effect results in this paper are applied in a model for determining ecologically critical road density. The estimation of edge width and critical road density obtained in this study can be applied during road planning and design to assess the potential effects of habitat conversion during road construction.

Download Full-text

The ethics of regenerative medicine

Biologia Futura ◽

10.1007/s42977-021-00075-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Göran Hermerén

Keyword(s):

Regenerative Medicine ◽

Ethical Issues ◽

The Road ◽

Starting Point ◽

Patient Consent ◽

Information Professional ◽

On The Road ◽

Principle Of Proportionality ◽

Experimental Treatments

AbstractMost developments in regenerative medicine have in common that there are many uncertainties and knowledge gaps. These features make the evaluation of long-term consequences of the available options difficult and have consequences for the ethical issues raised. This paper presents an overview of ethical issues raised in regenerative medicine, using as a starting point a list of stakeholders and their interests. Ethical issues are introduced via a simplified account of a project that focuses on several difficult problems, as well as a conceptual framework consisting of the following key concepts: present situation, goals, difficulties on the road toward the goals, and strategies for dealing with the difficulties. The list of ethical issues discussed includes safety and efficacy, patient consent, information, professional responsibilities, as well as equity and fairness. The issues and the underlying values need to be clarified, specified, debated, and ranked in order of importance. A particular problem is that values sometimes clash: Certain values can be achieved only at the expense of others. If and when values clash, principles are available that can guide the decision making. The paper comments on two such principles with implications for the particular issue of patient access to experimental treatments: the precautionary principle and the principle of proportionality. The paper ends with some conclusions for the future.

Download Full-text

Self-Driving Vehicles—an Ethical Overview

Philosophy & Technology ◽

10.1007/s13347-021-00464-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sven Ove Hansson ◽

Matts-Åke Belin ◽

Björn Lundgren

Keyword(s):

Ethical Issues ◽

Road Traffic ◽

Digital Information ◽

Political Messages ◽

Economic Segregation ◽

The Road ◽

Political Conflicts ◽

Trade Offs ◽

On The Road ◽

Fast Passage

AbstractThe introduction of self-driving vehicles gives rise to a large number of ethical issues that go beyond the common, extremely narrow, focus on improbable dilemma-like scenarios. This article provides a broad overview of realistic ethical issues related to self-driving vehicles. Some of the major topics covered are as follows: Strong opinions for and against driverless cars may give rise to severe social and political conflicts. A low tolerance for accidents caused by driverless vehicles may delay the introduction of driverless systems that would substantially reduce the risks. Trade-offs will arise between safety and other requirement on the road traffic system. Over-reliance on the swift collision-avoiding reactions of self-driving vehicles can induce people to take dangerous actions, such as stepping out in front of a car, relying on its fast braking. Children travelling alone can violate safety instructions such as the use of seatbelts. Digital information about routes and destinations can be used to convey commercial and political messages to car users. If fast passage can be bought, then socio-economic segregation of road traffic may result. Terrorists and other criminals can hack into a vehicle and make it crash. They can also use self-driving vehicles for instance to carry bombs to their designed places of detonation or to wreak havoc on a country’s road system.

Download Full-text

Sustainable Rural Tourism in Akseki Sarihacilar Village

Open House International ◽

10.1108/ohi-04-2007-b0010 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 32 (4) ◽

pp. 98-106

Author(s):

Sedef Altun ◽

Gülin Beyhan ◽

Recep Esengil

Keyword(s):

Cultural Values ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Planning Process ◽

Tourism Industry ◽

Cultural Dimensions ◽

Rural Tourism ◽

Maximum Efficiency ◽

The Road ◽

Migrant Families ◽

On The Road

The article establishes a framework for diversifying tourism in Antalya through the evaluation of a village in terms of sustainable rural tourism. Located 160 kilometers from Antalya on the road to Konya, the Akseki district is explored as a case study within the context of the project. The goal of the project is to provide maximum efficiency in the economical, social, and cultural dimensions of tourism with sustainable development practices in order to dispel the incongruities of regional development. As a result of the survey carried out in the region, the "Sarihacilar" Village, located 4 km away from downtown Akseki, was chosen as a sample for application due to its unique richness. Hosting only seven migrant families dealing with livestock, it is almost abandoned because of migration. The planning process endeavors to bring rural tourism to the Sarihacilar Village; it started with the preparation of an inventory of the existing village and the houses. The process was carried out through communication with the homeowners, determination of necessities, re-programming of the buildings and questionnaires. In the meantime, maps of the existing conditions and the settlement plans for the village were prepared. Subsequently the restoration some of buildings, 10 houses and village mansions, had been completed. With the aims of providing possibilities of alternative tourism in Antalya and of accelerating progress in rural areas by means of tourism, the Akseki Sarihacilar village seeks to create a tourism industry that guarantees that all of its local, social and cultural values are preserved.

Download Full-text

Making Knowledge Management Research more Scientific, Relevant, and Engaged: A Comparative Study of Academic ECKM Papers

Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management ◽

10.34190/ejkm.19.2.2536 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. pp194-210

Author(s):

Birgit Helene Jevnaker ◽

Johan Olaisen

Keyword(s):

Knowledge Management ◽

Knowledge Work ◽

Theoretical Implication ◽

Research Field ◽

Actual Problem ◽

The Road ◽

Existing Problems ◽

Pluralistic Approach ◽

On The Road ◽

Sustainable Societies

The purpose is to analyse and compare all the academic papers in the proceedings of the European Conference on Knowledge Management (ECKM) in 2017 (Barcelona), 2018 (Padua), 2019 (Lisbon), and the digital conference in 2020 (Coventry). The methodology is to code and classify 440 papers and use five contemporary science frameworks to describe and analyse the papers. The theoretical implication of contemporary KM is a research field without common paradigms, domains, and perspectives without accumulating knowledge. The KM researchers do not understand the nature of knowledge management as a field where the research cannot be replicated, synthesized, or theorized. Knowledge management needs to move along from the empirical research paradigm to a clarified subjectivity and action-basedresearch. The criticism implying acceptable/unacceptable solutions and constructed adequate/inadequate solutions for corporations and societies have strengthened their place, offering new paradigms and perspectives. The way to do this is to let in controversial, greener, and sustainable studies, whatever objectivity or subjectivity the studies have. We need more actual problem focused and less knowledge and instrument focused studies. KM will have a higher responsibility for sustainability and greener corporations and the possibility of accumulating knowledge into replication and synthesizing for general knowledge. The rate of tested and replicated studies is for the four conferences zero. The tested part, but not replicated, is 80%. The rate of untheorized untheorizable concepts is zero, the rate of theorized but not synthesized studies is zero, while the number of synthesized, theorized, and conceptual studies is around 20%. To become a discipline or research domain KM needs to replicate both empirical and conceptual studies. The only way to accumulate knowledge is through replication giving paradigms for verification and falsification. To move ahead for better quality in the research, we must break free from the empirical and materialistic paradigms and move into the clarified subjectivity and action paradigm. Paradigmatic ecumenism will tend to a fiercer but idea-generating debate. This pluralistic approach will give more engaged practical research representing more sustainable societies and businesses. ECKM is on the road to include more pluralistic perspectives upon sustainability, value creation, gender issues, and the design of future knowledge work. There is a critical openness toward these issues making ECKM 2020 a more relevant conference than the ECKM conferences in 2017, 2018, and 2019. The 2020 conference more open up for reflections, dialogues, and criticism upon existing problems and knowledge asking about what is the adequate actual KM solutions.

Download Full-text