American Scientist

To the Editors:

David Groenfeldt writes in his column (“Why We Need Water Ethics,” Ethics, September–October), “Just as rock climbers hammer in pitons to anchor their efforts, ethics offers a moral anchor from which we can chart a new course.” This metaphor is ironic, because rock climbers have long known that hammering in pitons damages the rock irreversibly. The practice is therefore considered unethical by climbers in many areas, and is even sometimes prohibited by law.

Bill Rubin
Poughkeepsie, NY