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     Cap and Trade (a government measure to incentivize the reduction of carbon emissions by business entities through financial means) has become a popular method to reduce air pollution by nations across the world, with many witnessing substantial reductions in CO2 emissions since its implementation. Carlos Sangster and Stephen Saifuddin recognize that this development is a positive one but stipulate that Cap and Trade in itself may actually increase the long-term likelihood of environmental catastrophe. Emissions trading measures, like Cap and Trade, incentivize certain companies to reduce their emissions but allow companies that can afford to do so to continue to produce emissions at historic levels; indeed, the largest companies often accept the costs of Cap and Trade measures because, despite moderately increased overhead, they can do so and still sustain record profits and growth. Moreover, there is no guarantee that short-term reductions in carbon emissions will translate into reductions in the total amount of fossil fuels used, because even into the far future, fossil fuels might easily remain more cost-effective than more environmentally-friendly alternatives. Even if government regulations were to make carbon emissions vastly more expensive, the current fossil fuel-based economic model would, were it to grow or even remain at its current size, produce more atmospheric carbon dioxide and global warming than would an economic model that put a hard cap on the amount of carbon emissions that could be produced. Sangster and Saifuddin argue that to effectively protect the planet's environmental health and encourage a more sustainable fuel economy, governments must implement measures that mandate environmentally-friendly energy sources and keep as-yet untapped fossil fuels safely underground. Unduly emphasizing halfway measures like Cap and Trade, which appeal to business entities and political interests with a vested stake in the prolonged use of fossil fuels, may distract global regulators from policies that might prove more effective in averting the disastrous effects of climate change.

The author’s reference to “historic levels” in serves primarily to

  • A

    specify an appropriate amount of fossil fuels for companies to consume

  • B

    contextualize the scale of carbon emissions in the wake of ecological legislation

  • C

    describe the long-term consequences of large-scale carbon emissions

  • D

    contrast the fossil fuel consumption of some companies with others

  • E

    criticize the entities with a vested interest in the continued use of fossil fuels

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正确答案: B

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