Copernicus is the European Earth Observation Programme which was established in 1998 to monitor the many ecosystems of our planet. It uses a constellation of 6 'Sentinel' satellites as well as dozens of third-party satellites to protect us from natural and manmade disasters. It collects and makes available accurate environmental data to address climate change, pollution, and deforestation, aiding evidence-based decision-making. Copernicus fuels scientific research and plays a pivotal role in tracing disease outbreaks, tracking marine pollution, determining the quality of air and water, studying ocean levels and evaluating the melting of the arctic polar ice cap. The Copernicus European Observation Programme provides enormous social, environmental and scientific benefits, and it should continue to be funded.
Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument above?
A) The Copernicus project requires international cooperation to be effective.
B) Social and scientific advances are of equal importance.
C) Some of Copernicus' benefits can be provided by other means.
D) There are a number of similar projects run by other international agencies.
E) The economic benefits derived from the Copernicus programme outweigh its costs.
IMAT 2023 · Question 8
Q8 - Critical thinking
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The correct answer is E) The economic benefits derived from the Copernicus programme outweigh its costs.
The conclusion is that Copernicus should keep being funded. The strongest support for a funding argument is showing the money is well spent, and that's what E does: if the economic benefits outweigh the costs, the programme pays for itself on top of everything else it does.
C and D actually weaken the argument. If other projects can provide the same benefits, why fund this one? A and B don't touch the question of funding at all.
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