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Essay about The Ethical Debate over Gasoline

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The national spotlight is dominated today with the debate over how much control should the government have in an individual’s life. With this in mind the question is asked, should the government be allowed to dictate the quality of gasoline that individuals use in their vehicles? Unbeknownst to consumers the Environmental Protection Agency recently approved the sale of E15 gasoline which contains harmfully high levels of ethanol. John Tomlin states, a “recent survey showed that a majority of consumers (95 percent) had not heard of E15 gasoline or the damage it may cause” (1). Is it ethical for the government to make this determination without notifying the public? Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ethical behavior as, “following accepted …show more content…

John Tomlin states that, “sustained use of E15 gasoline could cause… fuel system damage and other problems” (1). Less than five percent of the cars being driven today have been approved to use this new fuel. This statistic means that approximately ninety-five percent of vehicles will end up experiencing fuel system damage. This damage will result in expensive repair bills for consumers. Fuel system damage in these vehicles could also result in unsafe conditions if the vehicles fail to start or if they stall out during operation. The likely cost and possible danger associated with fuel system damage and failure resulting from the use of E15 gasoline demonstrates government’s immoral behavior in promoting the use of this new fuel. Tom Taylor asserts that, “unsuspecting consumers using E15 could end up with engine problems that might not be covered by their vehicles’ warranties” (1). These consumers are not aware that the automotive industry is aware of these dangers and that they will not honor the warranties on these new vehicles if E15 gasoline has been used. Auto shoppers spend overwhelming amounts of money to buy vehicle warranties to protect their cars. The fact that consumers could be voiding their warranties by using this newly approved gasoline blend, which they have no knowledge about, is unthinkable. Taylor states that, “AAA President & CEO Robert Darbelnet say ‘Bringing E15 to the market without adequate safe guards does not responsibly meet the needs of

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