95. The following was excerpted from an article in a farming trade publication.
Farmers who switched from synthetic to organic farming last year have seen their crop yields decline. Many of these farmers feel that it would be too expensive to resume synthetic farming at this point, given the money that they invested in organic farming supplies and equipment. But their investments will be relatively minor compared to the losses from continued lower crop yields. Organic farmers should switch to synthetic farming rather than persist in an unwise course. And the choice to farm organically is financially unwise, given that it was motivated by environmental rather than economic concerns.
Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc.
In this article the author recommends that farmers who switched from synthetic to organic farming last year should switch back to synthetic farming as soon as possible. Citing a decline in crop yields as the primary reason for the recommendation to reverse course, the author predicts that crop yields for organic farmers will continue to be lower unless synthetic farming is resumed. Moreover, the author argues that organic farming is not a financially viable choice for farmers in any case because it is motivated by environmental, not economic, concerns. The authors position is unconvincing for several reasons.
First, there is no evidence that the first-year yields of farmers who switched to organic farming are representative of their future yields. Common sense would lead one to expect that first-year yields would be lower simple due to the inexperience of farmers accustomed to synthetic farming methods. Moreover, other factors such as weather or infertile seed stock could be responsible for the lower yields. Since the author does not address these or other factors that could account for the lower yields, his prediction that yields will continue to be lower unless a switch is made back to synthetic farming is not well founded.
Second, the author assumes that economic and environmental concerns are mutually exclusive and that only enterprises motivated by economic concerns are financially rewarding. These assumptions are not supported in the argument. Moreover, there are good reasons to suspect they may be false in the case at hand. For example, while it may be true that synthetic farming methods produce significantly higher yields in the short term, it may also be the case that they fail to sustain this yield in the long term, whereas the opposite is true for organic methods. If this were the case, the financial advantage of synthetic over organic method would be illusory.
In conclusion, the authors prediction that yields will continue to lower for farmers who adopt organic farming methods is not well reasoned. To strengthen this forecast it would be necessary to examine and eliminate other possible factors that could account for the lower yields experienced. Lacking a full examination of these factors, it is difficult to accept the authors position. Finally, the authors view that organic farming is financially unwise is completely unsupported.
七年级英语上册module 9 unit 1导学案(外研版)
重庆市涪陵九中七年级下What is your home like学案
This is my sister
七年级英语 Unit 7 How much are these pants教案
Unit 10 Where did you go on vacation
初一英语阅读理解:美国的饮食
Starter Unit 1 Good morning学案
Unit 10 Can you play the guitar教学设计
初一英语阅读理解:周末
七年级英语上册全册学案(外研版)
七年级上册英语Unit 4集体备课教案
MODULE 4 My family
What does he look like
七年级英语上册module 9 unit 2导学案(外研版)
MODULE 3 My new school
Unit 8 The seasons and the Weather
Unit 4 more practice学案教案
MODULE 9 A trip to the zoo
Unit 1 This is me教学案
Where’s my backpack
Unit 9 My favorite subject is science
MODULE 6 An invitation to the cinema
Unit 9 My favorite subject is science教案及反思
七年级英语上册module 9 unit 3导学案(外研版)
七年级英语Starter Units 1~3导学案
MODULE 7 My school day
Unit 6 Do you like bananas
MODULE 5 Healthy food
Unit 4 My Neighbourhood
初一英语阅读理解汇总
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
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