Polluter pays principle

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/polluter-pays-principle

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the implementation methods?Includes pollution taxes, fees, liability rules, permitting, and command-and-control regulations
2. What is the broader objective?To incentivize pollution reduction, promote sustainable development, and ensure environmental equity
3. Why does the polluter have to pay for cleanup?Because pollution hurts the planet and people, so it’s fair that the one who caused it pays for the damage and for fixing it.
4. How does the Polluter Pays Principle help the environment?It makes pollution more expensive, so businesses try to use cleaner methods and new technology to avoid the cost.

Externalities: Costs or benefits of an economic activity that affect third parties not directly involved.
Remediation: The process of cleaning up or repairing environmental damage.
Sustainable Development: Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising future generations' ability to meet their own needs.