The following text is about environmental policy.
Carbon pricing puts a cost on greenhouse gas emissions, making polluters pay for the environmental damage they cause. This approach can take the form of a carbon tax or cap-and-trade system. Economists generally favor carbon pricing because it harnesses market forces: rather than mandating specific technologies, it allows businesses to find the cheapest ways to reduce emissions. Critics worry about impacts on low-income households and carbon leakage, where industries relocate to countries without carbon prices.
According to the text, why do economists generally support carbon pricing?
It eliminates all greenhouse gas emissions immediately
It lets market forces drive efficient emission reductions
It increases emissions to boost economic growth
It mandates specific technologies that must be used
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the correct answer. The text states carbon pricing "harnesses market forces" and "allows businesses to find the cheapest ways to reduce emissions."
- Evidence: Market forces; businesses find cheapest approaches.
- Reasoning: Flexibility and efficiency are the advantages.
- Conclusion: Market-driven efficiency supports economist endorsement.
Choice A is incorrect because immediate elimination isn't claimed. Choice C is incorrect because the goal is reduction, not increasing emissions. Choice D is incorrect because it explicitly avoids "mandating specific technologies."