Directions for questions 21 and 22: A paragraph is given below, followed by four alternative summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the paragraph.
The relentless pursuit of economic growth measured purely by Gross Domestic Product has catastrophically decoupled financial expansion from ecological sustainability and human well-being. GDP tallies monetary transactions without accounting for environmental destruction, resource depletion, or social inequality, treating oil spills and forest clear-cutting as economic windfalls. To survive the planetary crises of the twenty-first century, economists and policymakers must urgently transition toward multidimensional welfare metrics that incorporate natural capital depletion and social equity into national accounting frameworks.
The relentless pursuit of economic growth measured purely by Gross Domestic Product has catastrophically decoupled financial expansion from ecological sustainability and human well-being. GDP tallies monetary transactions without accounting for environmental destruction, resource depletion, or social inequality, treating oil spills and forest clear-cutting as economic windfalls. To survive the planetary crises of the twenty-first century, economists and policymakers must urgently transition toward multidimensional welfare metrics that incorporate natural capital depletion and social equity into national accounting frameworks.