GT Writing Task 2 / Essay Sample # 179
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
The international community must act immediately to ensure that all countries reduce their consumption of fossil fuels, such as gas and oil.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model Answer: [Agreement]
Climate change is at the forefront of international debates and is driving political discourse. Many environmentalists argue that the global community has to act at once to make sure that all nations decrease their consumption of fossil fuels, such as gas, coal and oil, as global warming is in full swing. In this case, I completely agree with the argument.
The reason why the onus is now on the international community is that states alone cannot solve the issue. This is because the pollution of a country impacts the atmosphere of other countries in one way or another. China’s coal-powered plants, for example, depletes the ozone layer over the other nations, this, in turn, affects the whole world. Similarly, India is manufacturing huge amounts of plastic from crude oil. Exhaust fumes from the burning crude oil trap the heat in the atmosphere accordingly. Thus, no single country can reduce global warming independently.
Besides, our epoch appears to have reached a point where all nations compete with one another so as to manufacture goods at a cheaper cost. Since fossil fuels are still significantly cheaper than alternative forms of energy, no individual state alone takes initiative to reduce fossil fuel consumption in fear of losing a competitive advantage over others. So, at this level, a few countries reducing carbon footprint dramatically cannot bring about the desired effect on a global scale if major emitters, such as China, India, USA, Japan, and Russia, do not convene to undertake joint action. Thus, the prerequisite for reducing fossil fuel consumption is the willingness of the global community to convince individual nations to adopt a green policy.
In conclusion, an individual nation’s pollution affects the world, and most countries consider their economic interests more important than their carbon emission. That is why the international community has to enforce minimal use of fossil fuel immediately to save the planet. This will only be effective if all nations come together to take coherent actions.