Passage - 2 In only 50 years, the world's consumption of raw materials has nearly quadrupled, to more than…
Passage - 2
In only 50 years, the world's consumption of raw materials has nearly quadrupled, to more than 100 billion tons. Less than 9% of this is reused. Batteries of old vehicles contain materials such as lithium, cobalt, manganese and nickel that are pricey and can be hard to obtain. Supply chains are long and complicated. Buyers' risks are being aggravated by their suppliers' poor environmental and labour standards. Reusing materials makes sense. Once batteries reach the ends of their lives, they should go back to a factory where their ingredients can be recovered and put into new batteries.
With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
I. Automobile factories are examples of the circular economy.
II. Economic growth is compatible with circular use of mineral resources.
Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?
I only
II only
Both I and II
Neither I nor II
Solution
Assumption I is too sweeping - the passage suggests batteries should return to factories for ingredient recovery, but does not assume automobile factories themselves are examples of a circular economy. Assumption II is valid - the passage's argument that reusing materials 'makes sense' presupposes that economic growth can coexist with circular use of mineral resources. Hence only II is valid.