Ecoefficiency

This topic has expert replies
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 142
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:55 am
Thanked: 5 times
Followed by:3 members

Ecoefficiency

by metallicafan » Mon Mar 05, 2012 3:20 pm
Ecoefficiency (measures
to minimize environmental
impact through the reduction
Line or elimination of waste from
(5) production processes) has
become a goal for companies
worldwide, with many realizing
significant cost savings from
such innovations. Peter Senge
(10) and Goran Carstedt see this
development as laudable but
suggest that simply adopting
ecoefficiency innovations could
actually worsen environmental
(15) stresses in the future. Such
innovations reduce production
waste but do not alter the number
of products manufactured
nor the waste generated from
(20) their use and discard; indeed,
most companies invest in ecoefficiency
improvements in
order to increase profits and
growth. Moreover, there is
(25) no guarantee that increased
economic growth from ecoefficiency
will come in similarly
ecoefficient ways, since in
today's global markets,
(30) greater profits may be turned
into investment capital that
could easily be reinvested
in old-style eco-inefficient
industries. Even a vastly
(35) more ecoefficient industrial
system could, were it to grow
much larger, generate more
total waste and destroy more
habitat and species than would
(40) a smaller, less ecoefficient
economy. Senge and Carstedt
argue that to preserve the
global environment and sustain
economic growth, businesses
(45) must develop a new systemic
approach that reduces total
material use and total accumulated
waste. Focusing
exclusively on ecoefficiency,
(50) which offers a compelling
business case according
to established thinking, may
distract companies from
pursuing radically different
(55) products and business
models.

Q:
The passage implies that which of the following is a possible consequence of a
company's adoption of innovations that increase its ecoefficiency?
A. Company profits resulting from such innovations may be reinvested in that
company with no guarantee that the company will continue to make further
improvements in ecoefficiency.
B. Company growth fostered by cost savings from such innovations may allow that
company to manufacture a greater number of products that will be used and
discarded, thus worsening environmental stress.
C. A company that fails to realize significant cost savings from such innovations
may have little incentive to continue to minimize the environmental impact of its
production processes.
D. A company that comes to depend on such innovations to increase its profits and
growth may be vulnerable in the global market to competition from old-style ecoinefficient
industries.
E. A company that meets its ecoefficiency goals is unlikely to invest its increased
profits in the development of new and innovative ecoefficiency measures.

I don't understand why the answer cannot be choice A.

The text says:
"Moreover, there is no guarantee that increased economic growth from ecoefficiency will come in similarly ecoefficient ways, since in today's global markets, greater profits may be turned into investment capital that could easily be reinvested in old-style eco-inefficient industries".

And that's what choice A says!. Check it out:
"Company profits resulting from such innovations may be reinvested in that
company with no guarantee that the company will continue to make further
improvements in ecoefficiency.
"

IMO, they both say the same. Please, your help. :s

OA: _B_
Source: — Reading Comprehension |

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1239
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2011 6:25 am
Thanked: 233 times
Followed by:26 members
GMAT Score:680

by sam2304 » Wed Mar 21, 2012 6:29 pm
Peter Senge
(10) and Goran Carstedt see this
development as laudable but
suggest that simply adopting
ecoefficiency innovations could
actually worsen environmental
(15) stresses in the future.
Such
innovations reduce production
waste but do not alter the number
of products manufactured
nor the waste generated from
(20) their use and discard; indeed,
most companies invest in ecoefficiency
improvements in
order to increase profits and
growth. Moreover, there is
(25) no guarantee that increased
economic growth from ecoefficiency
will come in similarly
ecoefficient ways, - How and What peter and goran believe will happen by adopting

since in
today's global markets,
(30) greater profits may be turned
into investment capital that
could easily be reinvested
in old-style eco-inefficient
industries. - Why so ?

Even a vastly
(35) more ecoefficient industrial
system could, were it to grow
much larger, generate more
total waste and destroy more
habitat and species than would
(40) a smaller, less ecoefficient
economy. - The consequence.

Hope this helped !!!
Getting defeated is just a temporary notion, giving it up is what makes it permanent.
https://gmatandbeyond.blogspot.in/

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 9:06 am

by proudtobeindian » Fri Mar 23, 2012 10:53 am
@sam2304 ...Rightly said.

This sentence from Para 1 should make the difference,
suggest that simply adopting
ecoefficiency innovations could
actually worsen environmental
(15) stresses in the future.

While what A says may be correct in the overall context but we need to see what author suggests of the question. Moreover, we need to look at the bigger picture - worsen environmental
(15) stresses.