3. Both pollution and development run in the modern times (A) opposite (B) independently (C) parallel (D) slowly
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Answer:
1Since the dawn of the industrial age, the ability to harness and use different forms of energy has transformed living conditions for billions of people, enabling them to enjoy a level of comfort and mobility that is unprecedented in human history, and freed them to perform increasingly productive tasks. For most of the last 200 years, the steady growth in energy consumption has been closely tied to rising levels of prosperity and economic opportunity in much of the world. However, humanity now finds itself confronting an enormous energy challenge. This challenge has at least two critical dimensions. It has become clear that current patterns of energy use are environmentally unsustainable. The overwhelming reliance on fossil fuels, in particular, threatens to alter the Earth’s climate to an extent that could have grave consequences for the integrity of both natural systems and vital human systems. At the same time, access to energy continues to divide the ‘haves’ from the ‘have-nots.’ Globally, a large fraction of the world’s population—more than two billion people by some estimates—still lacks access to one or several types of basic energy services, including electricity, clean cooking fuel and an adequate means of transportation.
2Of course, the need for a profound transformation of the world’s energy-producing and using infrastructure has been widely recognized in the mounting concern about global climate change. Countless reports have been written on the subject of sustainable energy, but few have approached this specifically from the perspective of a developing country. In nations where a significant portion of the population still lacks access to basic energy services, the worry about long-term environmental sustainability is often overshadowed by more immediate concerns about energy access and affordability.
3This report addresses the two-fold energy challenge that confronts developing and emerging economies — expanding access to energy while simultaneously participating in a global transition to clean, low-carbon energy systems.
4At a macro level, the policy options recommended here will be familiar as similar prescriptions have been widely advocated in energy policy discussions generally and in the context of a variety of different country. However, these arguments have often been based on experience or evidence from wealthier, industrialized countries. To successfully implement a sustainable energy agenda, it will be essential for developing countries to design and implement policies that (a) are responsive to their particular needs and constraints and (b) advance the realization of many goals, including economic, social development, and environmental objectives.