Some people think that environmental

problems are too big for individuals to solve,

while others think that the government cannot
solve these environmental problems unless
individuals make some action.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from
your own knowledge or experience.

You should write at least 250 words.

Model Answer 1:
The environment has become a major concern over the last couple of
decades, resulting in several debates on who should be responsible
for ensuring its sustenance for our future generations. In this essay,
we will discuss the point of views for establishing where the
responsibility for the protection of the environment lies.

There is a strong argument that individually we cannot contribute

materially to the cause of preserving our environment because it
encompasses several areas where individual efforts become futile.
Some examples are factories that are emitting hazardous gases in our
air or dumping dangerous materials in our rivers. If we want to take
this up as an individual we cannot be expected to be able to prevent
this from happening. One could argue that if each shareholder puts
pressure on the companies that they own this could lead to building
up of pressure for being more responsible, this, unfortunately, is not
workable because usually the companies are mostly owned by funds
that are managed by professionals, seeking profit and environment is
very low on their priority list.

The above leads us to deduct that if this movement of preserving our environment is a
collaborative effort by the government and general public we stand a better chance of being
successful. The government should provide the legal infrastructure to control the natural
instinct of profiteering of all investment institutions; with this, the individual efforts could
start making the difference. Continuing the above example if an individual member of the
society notices that same happening in his or her surroundings, he or she can call on an
implementation agency that would tackle the factory emitting hazardous gases and dumping
dangerous materials. Examples of these implementation agencies include Environment
control desk in the city office, environmental inspectors who randomly visit such factories
and are empowered under the law to impose a fine or completely seal the production facility
found in violation of the rules.

The responsibility surely seems to be tilting towards the actions of individuals supported
through government agencies and legislative framework, thus, in my opinion, the combined
efforts of the government and public would be more effective. This should not, however, be
interpreted as being absolved from keeping our environment clean and we can through cans
and other non-degradable materials on the beach.

[ Written by - Shakeel Haider]

Model Answer 2:
In the contemporary world, the concern for the degrading environment is at the peak. Some
people believe it is difficult for an individual to make a difference, while others feel it cannot
be solved without authorities intervening in the matter. This essay will discuss both sides in-
depth and will also state why I strongly agree that the government have an indispensable role
in such matters.

To begin, many believe the task of saving mother nature is tedious for a single person. But if
we introduce minor alterations to our day-to-day activities, we could probably eradicate the
detrimental causes to our environment. For instance, we can always bring along a recycling
bag while shopping so that usage of the plastic bag would decrease. These will definitely help
in minimising the air pollution caused by burning plastic bags. Thus, such actions from an
individual could lead to a healthy environment.

In contrast, to individual actions, governments also play a vital role in providing checks to
many such activities disrupting our ecosystem. Governments can impose stringent rules to be
followed by its people. For example, the usage of plastic bags should be completely banned
in the country, and this can only be forced by authorities. These regulations require judiciary
powers to implement which reside with the respective officials. For this reason, the
government plays the cardinal part in a process of abolishing effects causing damage to
nature.

To conclude, environmental degradation is increasing at an enormous rate. These problems

should be tackled with the collaboration of an individual along with governments. Would it
be ungreat? I firmly acknowledge the governments have a prominent role in resolving these
issues.

[Written by - Sumeet]
 
Sample Answer 3:
In today’s modern world, we are constantly confronted with the issue
of environmental problems which are becoming more severe
nowadays in the newspaper. Some people are of the opinion that
individuals can hardly make a change to environmental problems,
while some believe that governments can help in solving
environmental issues. I strongly agree that governments do play an
indispensable role in tackling these problems.

Some people think that the environmental problems are not an easy
task for individuals to deal with, but in fact, we can actually take up
some good habits which could prove useful in dealing with
environmental problems. For example, we can always bring along
recycle bags with us so that we can cut down the usage of plastic
bags. It can be clearly seen that individuals can actually contribute to
helping reduce environmental issues as fewer plastic bags being used
means that less air pollution which is caused by the burning of plastic
bags in the rubbish dump sites.

It is certainly true that environmental problems cannot be solved without the help of
governments. To begin, governments have more power than individuals in coping the
environmental problems. They can, for instance, set up laws that ban the emission of wastes
from factory directly into the air and watercourses. As a consequence, less air pollution and
water pollution guarantee the good health of citizens. By doing this, citizens will be healthier
and they can now live in a pollution-free