An ethical proposal: Towards environmentally-friendly research practices
Rationale
Wet-lab experiments can be very wasteful, with large amounts of hazardous/non-hazardous solid/liquid waste generated.
In addition, many lab equipment are highly energy-intensive.
Scientists should be exemplars of stewards of the environment, and contribute as little to damaging it as we can.
Current state of affairs
The main restriction on material consumption and equipment use in research is cost and availability.
In my personal experience, well-funded labs tend to be more wasteful — for example, they can afford to use disposable instead of reusable tools.
Changing things
More sustainable practices can be encouraged through existing venues
grant application process:
the NSF can mandate that all grant applications need to have a section that identifies opportunities to reduce waste production
laboratory training process: along with safety training, new members of a lab should also be trained in sustainability measures such as turning off equipment when not in use.
A government research organization such as the NSF should commission a study to identify areas with the highest sustainability to effort ratio.
Assumptions & Risks
More sustainable practices could increase the time it takes to carry out experiments.
Encouraging reuse of equipment can increase chance of contamination.