Problem
Assume that you are a nuclear engineer who is an expert on civilian nuclear power plants. Although you have worked in nuclear power plants before, you are currently employed as a professor of nuclearengineering and have no legal or financialrelationship with any entity that operates a nuclear power plant. You have an established consulting business and frequently serve as an expert witness on nuclear energy.
I. You are approached by No2Nukes, an advocacy group that opposes nuclear energy on the grounds that nuclear energy is inherently dangerous. No2Nukes is currently lobbying to prevent regulators from issuing a license to build a new nuclear power plant. They inform you that they would like to hire you to offer an expert opinion that nuclear power is too dangerous to be a viable energy option. You have no real, apparent, or potential conflicts of interest that would prevent you from serving as an expert witness. Hint: the actual danger or safety of nuclear power is not relevant to answering this question.
II. Now assume that you are approached by Montgomery-Burnsco, the company seeking to build a nuclear power plant in the above case. They inform you that they would like to hire you to offer an expert opinion that nuclear power is statistically one of the safest and cleanest energy options. You have no real, apparent, or potential conflicts of interest that would prevent you from serving as an expert witness. What should you do and why? Hint: the actual danger or safety of nuclear power is not relevant to answering this question.