6. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument of the critics of the Kyoto Protocol that implementing the protocol would be too costly?
A. While it is true that the scientific community is not unanimously in agreement that global warming is occurring, more than 95 percent of climatologists at universities and government-funded laboratories in Europe and North America agree that global warming is a real phenomenon.
This option doesn't highlight the expenditure aspects regarding the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol
B. Hybrid fuel-cell cars are less expensive to operate than conventional cars because of their much greater fuel efficiency, but it is unlikely that these operational savings will ever be able to cost-justify the much greater initial investment required to purchase one of these hybrid cars.
Deterrent of large initial investment 'strengthens' the argument of the critics..contrary to the question stimulus
C. Nuclear power, although completely free of carbon emissions and comparable in operating cost to an oil-burning power plant, brings the added back-end cost of disposing of the spent nuclear waste, which is both radioactive and highly toxic.
Higher cost of disposal of nuclear wastes will justify the critics' argument..hence, this option is also contrary to the question stimulus
D. Although it is unfair in a sense to impose different emissions restrictions on different countries, it is only fair to impose the most restrictive limitations on countries whose advanced economic development will allow them to conform to the regulations without losing the benefits of an industrialized economy.
Out of scope option, since this option also doesn't highlight the expenditure aspects regarding the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol
E. One nation that switched the fuel of 35 percent of its power plants from coal to natural gas in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions found that natural gas, although initially more expensive than coal, dropped in price to a level comparable to that of coal because natural gas companies increased production in order to meet the market demand.
With larger demand, the drop in prices of natural gas will lead to reduction of the implementation costs..thus 'weakening' the critics' argument hat implementing the protocol would be too costly
(E) is the correct answer