Direct regulation tax credits

1. The costs of cleaning up the damage caused by ________ do not naturally fall on those who cause it.

2. Burning fossil ________ in cars and factories releases pollutants into the air.

3. ________ kills fish and plants in lakes.

4. Acid rain caused by ________ in our country may fall on other countries.

5. Water is considered ________ when it cannot be used for its intended purpose.

6. Government efforts to control pollution have taken three forms: ________, effluent fees, ________.

IV. Read and translate the text:

By the mid-twentieth century the air over urban and industrial centers had become foul and the waters filthy.

The costs of cleaning up the damage caused by pollution do not naturally fall on those who cause it. Though many companies acting as good citizens make efforts to protect the environment, there is little economic incentive for them to do so.

Modern technology produces massive amounts of wastes. Burning fossil fuel in cars and factories releases pollutants into the air. Then dust and moisture combine in the atmosphere to form acids in clouds, and eventually there is an acid rainfall or snowfall. The results are deadly. Acid rain kills fish and plants in lakes. It also builds up in the soil and damages crops. It wears away building surfaces. Blown by winds, the acid rain may fall far from the source of pollution. Acid rain caused by pollutants in our country may fall on other countries. In fact, studies indicate that about half the acid rainfall in Canada may originate in the United States.

Water is considered polluted when it cannot be used for its intended purpose, such as drinking, recreation, farming, or manufacturing. Pesticides and chemical fertilizers used by farmers and home owners pollute streams, rivers, and ground water when they are transported by rain-water runoff.

Government efforts to control pollution have taken three forms: direct regulation, effluent fees and tax credits.

- Direct regulation refers to government rules to protect the environment. The prohibition of burning waste in incinerators, or the dumping of sewage in a river, and the banning of a pesticide (such as DDT) are examples of this form of pollution control. Those who fail to obey government regulations are subject to fine, imprisonment, or both.

- Effluent fees are charges levied on polluters for discharging waste. For example, a factory that pumps its waste into the atmosphere or a nearby stream will be charged on the basis of the quantity of waste discharged.

- Tax credits enable firms to reduce their taxes in exchange for investing in equipment that will enable them to reduce the amount of pollution they generate.

V. Answer the following questions:

1. What has created thousands of hazardous dumpish sited all across the country?

2. What forms acid rainfall or snowfall?

3. What is the damage caused by acid rainfall?

4. May acid rain caused by pollutants in our country fall on other countries?

5. When is water considered to be polluted?

6. What forms have government efforts taken to control pollution?

VI. Define the terms:

pollution

direct regulation

tax credits

wastes

environment

effluent fees

pollution control

economic incentive

VII. Translate into English:

1. Сучасна промисловість залишає велику кількість відходів. 2. Повітря забруднюється внаслідок автомобільних викидів під час згоряння пального. 3. Кислотні дощі згубно діють на рибу та рослинний світ; потрапляючи у ґрунт, вони завдають шкоди врожаю. 4. Кислотні дощі можуть випадати далеко від джерела забруднення. 5. Вода вважається забрудненою, якщо її не можна вживати за прямим призначен­ням: пити, використовувати в фермерському господарстві та у виробництві. 6. Пестициди, хімічні добрива, які використовують фермери та власники землі, забруднюють ріки, ґрунтові води. 7. Зусилля уряду з контролю забруднення набувають трьох форм: безпосереднього регулювання,, збір за скидання відходів, податкового кредиту, 8. Тим, хто не дотримується державного регулювання, загрожують штраф, ув'язнення або те й інше. 9. Податковий кредит дає фірмам можливість зменшити свої податки в обмін на інвестування в обладнання, яке дасть їм змогу зменшити кількість відходів.

VIII. Read and dramatize the following dialogue:

A.: What do you think about the events that influenced the population shift?

B.: Industrialization following World War I led to a population shift from farms to the cities. In the period since World War II, however, technological change has deprived the cities of many of the advantages that they once held. This has led to the growth of suburbs and to a number of economic problems for the cities.

A.: Do you see the ways of solving the problems of the cities?

B.: Proposals to solve economic problems of the cities generally call for some combination of federal, state and local approaches to the problems. Other proposals have called for the involvement of the business community, in partnership with government, as a way of solving some of the problems of the cities.

A.: I see. And economic growth, as well as everything in this world, has its advantages and drawbacks. Am I right?

B.: Yes, certainly. The principal advantage of economic growth is that it enables the nation to increase living standards. But economic growth also exacts a price in terms of resources consumed and wastes that must be disposed of.

A.: So economic growth causes sometimes harmful externalities and who is to answer for that and take measures?

B.: Unfortunately the market system does not have a way to charge those who cause harmful externalities (such as air and water pollution) for the costs of cleaning them up. For that reason it has been left to government to allocate these costs and find ways to limit the effects of harmful externalities.

A.: I think it's the duty of everybody.

B.: I fully agree with you. As polluted air dirties our clothing, our buildings and our homes.

A.: Does this cost society money?

B.: The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) estimated that pollution causes the average city family to pay up to 57 dollars per year to clean and replace soiled clothes and 20 dollars per year to repair, houses and cars. Air pollution reduces agricultural productivity and adds to the price people must pay for food.

A.: In addition many firms are working to make more efficient use of resources by recycling paper, aluminum and other raw materials, while others are redesigning products to be biodegradable or reusable.