Final answer:
Monitoring environmental impacts is crucial when making policy decisions as it helps assess potential negative consequences, identify harm to ecosystems and human health, and evaluate policy effectiveness.
Step-by-step explanation:
When making policy decisions, it is important to monitor environmental impacts because these decisions can have significant consequences on the environment. By monitoring environmental impacts, policymakers can assess the potential negative effects of their decisions and make informed choices that balance the needs of society with the preservation of the environment.
Monitoring environmental impacts allows for the identification of potential harm to ecosystems, biodiversity, and human health. For example, if a policy decision involves increasing industrial activities near a fragile ecosystem, monitoring the impacts can reveal the potential damage to that ecosystem, allowing policymakers to consider alternative measures to minimize harm.
Furthermore, monitoring environmental impacts provides valuable data for policymakers to evaluate the effectiveness of their policies. It allows them to assess whether the intended environmental goals are being achieved and make adjustments if needed. For instance, if a policy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions is not yielding the expected results, monitoring can help identify the gaps and inform the implementation of more effective measures.
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