▶ Your Answer :
Opinions might be divided over what the most effective way for the government
to conserve energy is. People of diverse ages and from different walks of life
may take diverse positions on this controversial issue. Personally, I think
that the government should raise the tax on gasoline and electricity, because
people use less energy than before due to the price and the government can
invest the tax revenue, which comes from the price increase, in technology
development.
To begin with, due to the decrease of nuclear generating plants, saving
energy become more important issue than ever before. If the price increases,
people are more careful in using energy because of their limited budgets. This
can save energy. Opponents of my perspective may claim that the government
should not raise the price, because it is just burden to many citizens.
Advocates’ claim might sound reasonable on the surface. However, if we take a
closer look at their contentions, the rationale for their assertion lacks logic
in many ways. Moreover, my personal example can debunk their claim. There were
many cars on the street in Seoul, so I always got up early to go to the school
because of traffic jams. However, as soon as the Korea government raise the price
of gasoline by 30 percent last January, half of them disappeared. So, I don’t
need to hurry to go to the school in the morning anymore.
In addition, beyond my personal example, there are many articles which can
support my argument. They expressed the doubts that are similar to my point of
view. A few weeks ago, I had a chance to read an article from the Dong-A Daily
News that is related to the topic. It described the results of the survey
conducted by the Samsung Economic Research Institute social science researchers
with more than five hundred government officers working at Ministry of Finance
and Economy. According to the article, of the 500 officers surveyed more than
80 percent of them answered that the government can secure significant tax
revenues from the increased price, and it is enough money to invest in new
technology development project to get energy effectively. The officers went on
to say that because of lack of resources, like crude oil and nuclear fuel, it
is urgent to develop alternative energy sources.
Based on the examples that I mentioned above, I can conclude that the most
effective way for the government to conserve energy is to increase the price of
gasoline and electricity. |