Read the passage and answer the questions that follow: For more than nine decades scientists have tried to replicate the process that produces energy for the sun and stars-fusion. On Tuesday, researchers at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in California, USA, announced a milestone in this endeavour. They merged two nuclei to produce a heavier nucleus. Their reactor produced about 1.5 times more energy than what was used in the process. In all the earlier attempts to harness the power of fusion, the reactors used up more energy than what was produced. But scientists say that it will be at least two decades before the process pioneered in the California laboratory can be scaled up. Even then, in a world desperately searching for technologies that can power the developmental needs of nations adding to the GHG load, the break-through at NIF has generated excitement. Several countries are shifting to renewable energies to meet their international climate-related commitments. Yet, power generation currently is responsible for 25-30 percent of global GHG emissions. The inherently unstable nature of renewables means that countries find it very difficult to jettison fossil-fuel energy sources. Conventionally-produced nuclear energy-that uses fission technology-is relatively cleaner. But accidents at Chernobyl in 1986 and Fukushima in 2011 have raised serious questions over the safety of fission-powedered plants.
Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R). Assertion (A): Several countries of the world are moving towards renewable energy sources for their development needs. Reason (R): The renewable resources of energy are of stable nature. In light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:
Analyzing the Assertion and Reason on Renewable Energy
This question presents an Assertion (A) and a Reason (R) related to renewable energy sources, asking us to evaluate their truthfulness and the relationship between them based on the provided passage.
Statement Analysis
Let's break down each statement and compare it with the information given in the passage.
Assertion (A): Several countries of the world are moving towards renewable energy sources for their development needs.
- The passage states: "Several countries are shifting to renewable energies to meet their international climate-related commitments."
- This directly supports Assertion (A). Countries are indeed shifting towards renewable energies.
- Therefore, Assertion (A) is correct.
Reason (R): The renewable resources of energy are of stable nature.
- The passage states: "The inherently unstable nature of renewables means that countries find it very difficult to jettison fossil-fuel energy sources."
- This explicitly describes renewable resources as having an "inherently unstable nature".
- Therefore, Reason (R) is not correct.
Evaluating the Relationship
Since Reason (R) is found to be incorrect, it cannot possibly be the correct explanation for Assertion (A). The relationship between the two statements is irrelevant once one is proven false (unless both were false).
Conclusion based on Analysis
Based on the passage, we conclude that Assertion (A) is correct, while Reason (R) is not correct because the passage states that renewables are unstable, not stable.
Matching with Options
Let's look at the given options:
- Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A). (Incorrect, as R is not correct)
- Both (A) and (R) are correct but (R) is NOT the correct explanation of (A). (Incorrect, as R is not correct)
- (A) is correct but (R) is not correct. (This matches our conclusion)
- (A) is not correct but (R) is correct. (Incorrect, as A is correct and R is not correct)
Therefore, the most appropriate answer is that (A) is correct but (R) is not correct.
Revision Table: Assertion and Reason
| Statement | Content | Evaluation (Based on Passage) |
|---|---|---|
| Assertion (A) | Countries are moving towards renewable energy. | Correct |
| Reason (R) | Renewable energy is stable. | Not Correct |
Additional Information: Nature of Renewable Energy
Renewable energy sources like solar and wind power are often described as intermittent or variable. This means their availability fluctuates depending on factors like weather conditions (sunshine, wind speed). They are not always available on demand, making their nature inherently less stable compared to fossil fuels or nuclear fission, which can provide a constant baseload power supply. This instability is a key challenge in fully transitioning away from conventional energy sources and requires solutions like energy storage (batteries) and smart grids.
Important Questions from Reading Comprehension
Why, according to the writer can't people be motivated to use a resource prudently?
1. They feel that others may overuse the resource
2. It is possible to substitute the resource
3. Abundance of the resource availability
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
When do people use resources exhaustively?
The self-interest of people affects the use of renewable resources
People rooted in a locality
Which among the following is closest in meaning with the word 'deplete'?
