The following text is about environmental policy.
"Polluter pays" may seem straightforward—those who pollute should bear cleanup costs—but implementation raises complex questions. Should current owners pay for historical contamination by previous owners? Should developed nations compensate for emissions from decades when climate science was uncertain? The principle also interacts with ability to pay: strict application might bankrupt small businesses while leaving wealthier polluters able to continue. Modifications like pollution caps, insurance requirements, and graduated liability regimes attempt to balance accountability with practical constraints, revealing how simple principles become complicated in application.
What complexity does the text identify in applying the "polluter pays" principle?
The principle is never applied in any context
Questions of historical responsibility, knowledge, and ability to pay complicate straightforward application
All polluters have equal resources
Climate science provides complete certainty about all past emissions
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the correct answer. The text raises questions about "historical contamination," "emissions from decades when climate science was uncertain," and "ability to pay"—multiple complicating factors.
- Evidence: Historical responsibility, knowledge timing, and economic capacity.
- Reasoning: Each factor complicates simple application.
- Conclusion: Multiple considerations make application complex.
Choice A is incorrect because modifications show attempts at application. Choice C is incorrect because ability to pay varies, causing complications. Choice D is incorrect because historical "uncertainty" is mentioned as a complication.