GMAT Essays (AWA)

The primary responsibility for preventing environmental damage belongs to government, not to individuals or private industry.
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

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According to the author the primary responsibility for protecting the environment is of the government and not of individuals or private industry. I would agree with the author to a certain extent. The initiative for protection of environment definately needs to be taken by the government, but at the end it is upto the individuals to obey the rules and laws laid by the government.

Consider the example of a law which states that poaching of animals and uprooting of trees is banned in West Bengal, one of the states of India. The government can always set rules and regulations, but at the end if an individual does not consider his/her responsibility to adhere to the law it is next to impossible to recover loss of wildlife and vegetation. Inspite of government punishing the offenders, there were several cases of hunting of the royal bengal tiger for its skin. Only after the number went down to an alarmingly low of just 120 tigers, was the government aggressively into action to make people aware of not kiling wildlife. However a question needs to be asked is why does an individual realise his resposibility only when the situation worsens to become crises.

Similarly the goverment of India has set rules for the amount of Carbon Mono-Oxide (CO) emmision from a vehicle. Goverment also provides free PUC (Polution Under Control) checkups for the vehicles. But if an individual or the manufacturing industry does not realise the the amount of damage CO can cause to the air, it is not possible to control the environmental air pollution. It is impossible to stop and check the CO emmision of every single vehicle passing on the crowded streets of India. Every individual should therefore get his/her vehicle checked for emmision levels and private service centres need to necessarily tune the vehicle for controlling the same.

In conclusion, I would like to say it is our world to protect. Individuals or private industries can themselves take initiatives to protect the environment or if not then atleast follow the rules and laws laid by govenment. After all your son has all rights to see the cleaner and greener world as your dad has shown to you.

This essay is pretty good. I gave it a 5. Here are some comments:

First, I really like your examples. I would've liked to have seen one more example/paragraph, though. This would strengthen the argument.

Secondly, I didn't like your conclusion. It seems a bit too sappy - I always try to be more business-like in my essays.

Finally, and most importantly - try not to "agree to a certain extent" - pick a side of the argument and argue it. Don't come down somewhere in the middle.

Good job!