Text 1: Economist Dr. Linda Wu supports carbon taxes. "Pricing carbon emissions forces polluters to internalize environmental costs," Wu argues. "Market mechanisms efficiently reduce emissions by making clean alternatives more competitive."
Text 2: Environmental justice advocate Dr. Marcus Johnson critiques market approaches. "Carbon taxes hit low-income communities hardest since they spend more on energy proportionally," Johnson observes. "Without redistributive measures, market solutions exacerbate inequality while addressing climate change."
What concern does Johnson raise that Wu's analysis doesn't explicitly address?
Whether climate change is occurring
Whether carbon taxes could have regressive economic impacts
Whether market mechanisms can affect behavior
Whether emissions have environmental costs
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the correct answer. Wu focuses on efficiency and emissions reduction. Johnson adds that carbon taxes "hit low-income communities hardest"—regressive effects Wu doesn't mention.
- Evidence: Johnson: low-income communities "spend more on energy proportionally."
- Reasoning: Wu's efficiency focus overlooks distributional consequences.
- Conclusion: Johnson raises regressive impact concerns.
Choice A is incorrect because both accept climate change. Choice C is incorrect because Johnson doesn't deny market effects. Choice D is incorrect because both acknowledge environmental costs.