Harnessing the Clean, Abundant Energy of the Sun and Wind

question 231

Multiple Choice

Harnessing the clean, abundant energy of the sun and wind is critical to solving the global warming problem. Technological advances have brought the cost of electricity generated by the wind down by 82 percent since 1981. Solar energy technology has made remarkable progress as new photovoltaic cells have been developed to convert even greater amounts of sunlight directly into electricity. Today the costs of wind and solar power are becoming competitive with dirty coal-fired plants. Sierra Club, "Global Warming Solutions"

• A) Argument; conclusion: Today the costs of wind ... dirty coal-fired plants.
• B) Argument; conclusion: Technological advances ... by 82 percent since 1981.
• C) Argument; conclusion: Harnessing the clean ... the global warming problem.
• D) Nonargument.
• E) Argument; conclusion: Solar energy technology ... directly into electricity.

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Definitions:

Public Good

Goods that are non-excludable and non-rivalrous, meaning they can be used by everyone and one person's use does not reduce availability to others.

Collective Willingness

The shared desire or intention among members of a group to achieve a common objective or undertake a specific action.

Supply And Demand Graph

A visual representation used in economics to show the relationship between the supply of products and the demand for them.

Public Good

A product or service that is non-excludable and non-rivalrous, meaning it can be used by anyone without diminishing its availability to others.