Science research student Mira Sobhy, of MacArthur High School, was selected by The Williams Institute as a finalist in the 2013 Ethics Essay Contest. As a finalist, she will receive $500.
The Williams Institute, a UCLA think tank, provides world-relevant research that is disseminated to judges, legislators, policymakers, media and the public. The institute encouraged participants to choose an ethical issue facing the nation, illustrate how it affects people, and describe what changes need to be adopted for the issue to be resolved.
Sobhy’s essay studied the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels, a topic explored in David Friedman and Matthew Zausin’s science research class. She highlighted the negative externalities related to extraction (mining and fracking), processing and combustion, as well as the impact on foreign nations. She then provided proposals for a movement toward cleaner renewables.
