# FILE NAME: 00000766.soc
# TITLE: Should the government encourage greater investment in sustainable energy by subsidising it? [8853a8772c8e16c77fc0fa6da4a339f6]
# DESCRIPTION: 
# DATA TYPE: soc
# MODIFICATION TYPE: original
# RELATES TO: 
# RELATED FILES: 
# PUBLICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# MODIFICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# NUMBER ALTERNATIVES: 4
# NUMBER VOTERS: 5
# NUMBER UNIQUE ORDERS: 4
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 1: Statement 1 - In general, the government should subsidise investment in sustainable energy. This is because the long term benefits of this investment will be huge, and it is unlikely that individuals would be able to afford the investment themselves. The government will also benefit from this investment as it will reduce their expenditure on fossil fuels. The downside to this is that individuals may waste energy if they are not charged for it, and it is not clear that this is a good thing.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 2: Statement 2 - The Government should invest in sustainable energy by subsidising it. This is because it is likely to be the most effective way to ensure that more people use it, as individuals are unlikely to be able to afford the technology on their own. The government is likely to be able to make a large profit from this investment, so should be able to afford it. The scheme may not be perfect however, as some people may be inclined to waste energy since it is free, or continue to use the same amount of fossil fuels as before.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 3: Statement 3 - The government should encourage greater investment in sustainable energy by subsidising it. This is because it will help the country as a whole to reduce their carbon footprint and become less reliant on fossil fuels, which are finite. Subsidies should be in the form of repayable loans to encourage businesses to invest in sustainable energy, as the government is unlikely to be able to afford the large costs associated with it.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 4: Statement 4 - In general, the government should encourage greater investment in sustainable energy by subsidising it. This is because increased access to this is likely to lead to the UK being a lesser cause of global warming. That said there is a distinction between sustainable and renewable energy, where sustainable energy can be harmful to the environment through releasing fossil fuels, but still sustainable because the government can continue to afford and source it. Assuming the question is referring to renewable energy- it is a great idea for the government to subsidise this because individuals are unlikely to be able to afford these methods by themselves, and the scheme is more likely to be used by government buildings, hospitals and other significant users of energy than if individuals were funding it. On the other hand, if the government is funding this energy, people may be inclined to waste energy since it is free, or continue to use the same amount of fossil fuels as before.
2: 4,2,1,3
1: 4,2,3,1
1: 4,3,2,1
1: 2,1,3,4