GMAT考试写作指导：Issue写作范文四一

　　41. Imposing heavy penalties on those who pollute or destroy the environment is one

　　way to preserve our environment. But it is not the only way; nor is it the best way.

　　Penalties may elicit grudging compliance, but other approaches―those that instill a

　　sense of genuine commitment―are likely to be more effective in the long term.

　　Admittedly, motivating compliance with environmental regulations by way of

　　penalties will serve environmental goals up to a point. The deterrent effect of these

　　remedies cannot be denied. Yet it should not be overstated. Some businesses may

　　attempt to avoid punishment by concealing their activities, bribing legislators

　　to modify regulations, or moving operations to jurisdictions that allow their

　　environmentally harmful activities. Others might calculate the trade-off between

　　accepting punishment and polluting, budget in advance for anticipated penalties, then

　　openly violate the law. My intuition is that this practice is a standard operating mode

　　among some of our largest manufacturers.

　　A better way to ensure environmental protection is to inculcate a sense of genuine

　　commitment into our corporate culture―through education and through shareholder

　　involvement. When key corporate executives become committed to values, the

　　regulations associated with those values become a codification of conscience rather than

　　obstacles to circumvent. The machinations and maneuverings described earlier will

　　thereby be supplanted by thoughtful concern about all the implications of ones actions.

　　Moreover, commitment-driven actions are likely to benefit the environment over and

　　above what the law requires. For example, while a particular regulation might permit a

　　certain amount of toxic effluents, businesses committed to environmental protection

　　may avoid harmful emissions altogether.

　　Instilling a genuine sense of commitment through education and shareholder

　　action is not just a better approach in theory, it is also less costly overall than a

　　compliance-driven approach. Regulatory systems inherently call for legislative

　　committees, investigations and enforcement agencies, all of which adds to the tax

　　burden of the citizens whom these regulations are designed to protect. Also, delays

　　typically associated with bureaucratic regulation may thwart the purpose of the

　　regulations, since environmental problems can quickly become very grave.

　　In sum, penalties for violating environmental-protection laws are essentially

　　expensive band-aids. A commitment-based approach, involving education and

　　shareholder activism, can instill in corporate culture a sense an environmental

　　conscience, resulting in far more effective environmental protection.