Describe the role of public participation in environmental decision-making and provide two practical methods to involve stakeholders.

• A. It slows decision making; methods: protests and boycotts.
• B. It improves transparency, legitimacy, and trust; methods include public meetings/hearings and open-comment periods.
• C. It has no impact on outcomes; methods: anonymous surveys and social media polls.
• D. It is optional only for large projects; methods: press releases and briefings.

Answer: (B)