Ethics – Environmental Activists

At a lumber mill workers were being injured when the band saw was knocked off the pulleys by metal spikes driven into the trees. Local ecological activists had driven these metal spikes into the trees to make the lumber company stop logging in a specific area. In response, the company ran the trees past a scanner to look for metal. This prevented the men from being injured. So, the activists drilled holes in the live trees and poured concrete into them. The scanners could not pick up the concrete and men began getting hurt again.

• Were the actions of the environmental activists ethical? Why or why not?
• What would you do if you were the owner and why?