What does the author mean by saying the question is 'badly framed'?
Nuclear power divides opinion more sharply than almost any energy source. Its opponents point to rare but severe accidents and to the problem of storing waste for thousands of years. Supporters point to its low carbon emissions and constant output. It is tempting to resolve the dispute by asking which is the lesser evil, but the question is badly framed. The real choice is rarely between nuclear and a perfect alternative; it is between nuclear and whatever would in practice supply the same power. If that is gas or coal, the emissions are far higher and the daily harms from air pollution are considerable. If renewables with storage can fill the gap at a lower cost, nuclear loses its advantage. The answer is therefore a matter of local facts, not of principle.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. It wrongly compares nuclear power with an ideal rather than with the real alternative
- Step 1: The next sentence says the real choice is rarely between nuclear and a perfect alternative.
- Step 2: The framing as 'lesser evil' ignores the practical comparison.
Answer
It wrongly compares nuclear power with an ideal rather than with the real alternative.
Why not the others: The complaint is about comparing nuclear power with an ideal; it is not about the number of questions, a focus on emissions, an assumption of danger or the style of writing.
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