Logical Reasoning

PT21 · S2 · Q23 Antinuclear activist: The closing

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Antinuclear activist: The closing of the nuclear power plant is a victory for the antinuclear cause.

Claim

The closing of the nuclear power plant is a victory for the antinuclear cause, and it represents an acknowledgment by the power industry that they cannot operate such plants safely.

Manager's Alternate Explanation

No, the plant closed from economic considerations: the availability of cheap power from nonnuclear sources and the cost of mandated safety inspections and repairs.

Evaluate

The argument involves a clash between two explanations for the plant's closure.

Curious Fact

Why did the nuclear power plant close?

Activist's Explanation

The plants realized they can't operate those plants safely.

Manager's Explanation

The plants closed for economic reasons, relating to cheaper alternatives and mandated safety inspections/repairs.

To support the activist's claim, we need evidence suggesting the plant's closure was influenced by safety concerns or the pressure from antinuclear advocacy. This would help establish that the closure aligns with the activist's interpretation of a victory.

Goal

Let's find an answer that suggests the plant closure was at least partly influenced by safety concerns, aligned with pressure from the antinuclear groups, or highlights that antinuclear activism significantly contributed to the decision.

23.

Which one of the following, if true, most strongly supports the activist’s claim of victory?

The plant had reached the
Opposite (if anything)
The plant reaching the age at which its operating license expired does not specifically point to safety concerns or antinuclear activism influencing the closure. Therefore, this provides no direct support to the activist's claim. If anything, it suggests an alternate explanation for the closure (they couldn't / wouldn't renew their license).
9% picked this
Correct
The mandate for inspections and
Why this is right
This aligns with the activist's interpretation, as it shows that the activist groups had indeed influenced the safety mandates, contributing to the economic factors that led to the closure. This strengthens the activist's claim that the closure was a victory for their cause. It allows both people to be right. Economic considerations were the direct cause of closure, but since pressure from antinuclear groups led to mandated inspections and repairs, they caused economic considerations and thus were an indirect cause of closure. Pressure >> new, $$$ safety measures >> plant went broke and closed It also somewhat supports the idea that the plants can't (afford to) operate safely.
Skill tested: Strengthen · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.
79% picked this
The plant would not have
Opposite Impact
This supports the manager's economic explanation (people didn't want to buy nuclear power when alternative sources were cheaper) and does not provide evidence for the activist’s claim regarding safety concerns.
5% picked this
Per unit of electricity produced,
Opposite Impact
This supports the manager's economic explanation for the closure (costs were too high) and does not provide evidence for the activist’s claim regarding safety concerns.
3% picked this
The plant that closed had
No Impact
The plant's capacity to provide backup power does not pertain to its safety or the influence of the antinuclear activism on its closure. It instead deals with the plant's operational capabilities, which doesn’t address the activist's claim.
4% picked this

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