Environmental objectives and public provision
| English | 中文 | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| visual pollution/ˈvɪʒuːəl pəˈluːʃn/ | 视觉污染 | shì jué wū rǎn |
| legislation/ˌledʒɪˈsleɪʃn/ | 立法 | lì fǎ |
A decision you can investigate
- A delivery depot creates engine noise, exhaust fumes, litter and contaminated runoff.
- A single pollution label can hide different harms and different remedies.
Build the explanation
- Visual pollution 视觉污染 includes litter or damage to a landscape; noise can disturb neighbours; air pollution harms air quality; water pollution contaminates waterways. Business activity can cause several at once.
- A tax changes the cost of a harmful activity; a subsidy helps finance cleaner action. Legislation 立法 authorizes rules; regulation specifies requirements. Fines penalize breaches; pollution permits limit allowed emissions. Public parks can preserve green space and provide recreation, but do not automatically clean polluted water.
Work through the evidence
- The depot can install a runoff filter costing 5000 yuan. A 2000-yuan subsidy leaves 3000 to fund. A rule requiring safe discharge directly targets the water harm; inspections and credible fines support it.
- A park may improve access to green space, while a night-delivery restriction targets noise. Match the chosen tool to its mechanism instead of treating each policy as interchangeable.
A filter costs 5000 with subsidy 2000. The firm funds
The subsidy covers part of the cost: 5000−2000.
Test the limits
- Regulation may achieve a clear minimum but impose costs and need monitoring. A fine’s effect depends on detection as well as size. Permit trading requires measurable emissions and an enforced cap.
- Parks need land and maintenance spending, with an opportunity cost. Compare environmental gains with implementation costs and effects on output, workers and residents.
Which intervention most directly targets late-night engine noise?
The rule targets the source and timing of the noise.
Government provision of a park has no opportunity cost.
Land and maintenance resources could have other uses.
Apply and explain your answer
- Why is a new park alone an incomplete response to contaminated runoff?
- It does not directly prevent or treat the discharge reaching the water.
What can weaken the deterrent effect of a large fine?
An unenforced penalty may leave expected costs low.
Use the terms precisely
- visual pollution: Damage to the appearance of an environment, including litter.
- legislation: Laws establishing authority, duties or prohibitions.
Match the terms to their meanings.
Each term describes a specific mechanism in this lesson.
The depot can install a runoff filter costing 5000 yuan. A 2000-yuan subsidy leaves 3000 to fund. A rule requiring safe discharge directly targets the water harm; inspections and credible fines support it. A park may improve access to green space, while a night-delivery restriction targets noise. Match the chosen tool to its mechanism instead of treating each policy as interchangeable.
Regulation may achieve a clear minimum but impose costs and need monitoring. A fine’s effect depends on detection as well as size. Permit trading requires measurable emissions and an enforced cap. Parks need land and maintenance spending, with an opportunity cost. Compare environmental gains with implementation costs and effects on output, workers and residents.
Visual pollution includes litter or damage to a landscape; noise can disturb neighbours; air pollution harms air quality; water pollution contaminates waterways. Business activity can cause several at once.