Shaw: Regulatory limits on pollution emissions from power plants should be set in terms of the long-term average emissions level rather than peak emissions levels.
ββββββ βββ βββββ βββββββ ββ ββββ βββββββββ βββββββββ ββββ βββββββ ββ βββ ββββββββββββ ββββ ββββββββ ββ ββββ ββ βββββββββ βββ βββββββ βββββ βββββ ββ βββββββββ βββββββββ βββββββ ββββββ βββββββββ βββ ββββ βββββ ββ βββββββ ββ ββ βββββββββββ ββββββ ββββ βββββ ββββ ββββββ
Shaw claims that limits on pollution levels should be based on average emissions rather than the highest peaks. Levin disagrees, arguing that basing the regulatory limit on averages would be akin to basing speed limits on carsβ average speeds, which wouldnβt make sense given that such an average would include times when cars are slowed by traffic or stopped at red lights.
The question asks us to find what, for a power plant, would be analogous to times when a car is at a red light. Carsβ average speeds are likened to a power plantsβ average emissions, and cars are not moving at all when theyβre at a stoplight, so such time would be analogous to times when a power plant does not emit any pollution at all.
Analysis by AlexandraNash
Based on the analogy in βββββββ βββββββββ ββββ ββββ β βββββββ ββββββ ββ β βββββββββ ββ βββββββββ ββ ββββ ββββ β βββββ βββββ
operates without any ββββββββββ ββ βββ βββββββββ βββββββββ
operates at peak ββββββββββ
emits pollutants at β ββββ βββ βββββ
emits no pollutants ββ βββ
emits pollutants at βββ ββββ βββββ