Critical Reasoning

Environmentalists fear that looming global economic slowdown will thwart efforts to curb carbon emissions. Since complying with strict environmental regulations would impose a significant financial burden on many businesses and industries, most will balk at the prospect and not reduce their respective carbon footprints. Governments, meanwhile, will be reductant to impose environmental restrictions, for fear of suppressing economic growth.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?

A. Governments, whether local or federal, will not raise taxes on already financially burdened populations.
B. There are no cost-cutting measures that businesses could implement to help them survive a compromised economic climate.
C. Tax cuts alone will not stop industries from resisting efforts to curb carbon emissions.
D. A worldwide economic slowdown would not significantly reduce energy demand and industrial output, both of which are linked to high levels of carbon emissions.
E. High levels of economic growth are impossible to achieve with any level of reduction in global energy consumption.

OA D

Source: Princeton Review