Real-Life Decision Making -- Solution
You submit the issue to your committee.
You think to yourself, "If I present the issue to my colleagues, there will be a big delay in importing the fungus. My research will be delayed and I won't finish on schedule. This will increase my costs and will put me over budget.
"The chances that this fungus will be harmful are very slight. Still, it is better to be safe than sorry. It would be terrible if I imported this fungus and it later caused harm to our ecology."
Just as you feared, the committee takes a lot of time talking about the issue. Weeks pass before they are done debating and discussing the pros and cons.
Finally, they recommend that you import the fungus. They also suggest some safeguards that you should practice in your lab.
You import the fungus and complete your research. As you feared, you are behind schedule and go over budget.
However, the results of your research provide valuable information. Your funders and your employer are both pleased with the outcome. You are optimistic that you will be awarded additional research funding in the future.
"The unethical thing would be to just arrange for the import and not even think about the issue," says David Fischer, an internationally recognized mycologist.
"The government does not usually ask too many questions of researchers affiliated with credible institutions, so it is up to the researcher to consider consequences."