a cr from gmatclub

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a cr from gmatclub

by diebeatsthegmat » Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:13 am
Scientists are discussing ways to remove excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by increasing the amount that is absorbed by plant life. One plan to accomplish this is to establish giant floating seaweed farms in the oceans. When the seaweed plants die, they will be disposed of by being burned for fuel.

Which of the following, if true, would indicate the most serious weakness in the plan above?
A. Some areas of ocean in the Southern Hemisphere do not contain sufficient nutrients to support large seaweed farms.
B. When a seaweed plant is burned, it releases an amount of carbon dioxide comparable to the amount it has absorbed in its lifetime.
C. Even if seaweed farms prove effective, some people will be reluctant to switch to this new fuel.
D. Each year about seven billion tons of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere but only about five billion tons are absorbed by plant life.
E. Seaweed farms would make more money by farming seaweed to sell as nutritional supplements than by farming seaweed to sell as fuel

[spoiler]why E? for me, E is out of scope... the problem about if farm makes more money by farming seaweed is not mentioned and cared in the text.....
B is my answer[/spoiler]
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

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by maihuna » Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:26 am
I think B is OK, as it says that C02 absorbed and releSED is same so this plan will not be able to resuce co2, at most same.
Charged up again to beat the beast :)

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by prachich1987 » Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:34 am
The main goal of the scientists is to reduce the carbon dioxide and not to make profit from seaweed.
The answer has to be B.

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by vatsalroxy » Sat Jan 29, 2011 4:05 am
As clearly the argument flows like

1) Sc: ways to remove excessive CO2 frm atmosp
2) How? : Incrs the amt of Co2 that is absorbed by plant life.
3)Concl : Incrs Seaweed farm in ocean.

Catch is the language of the argument where most assume that increasing plants => red Co2 .
But as per the arg.

"remove excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by increasing the amount that is absorbed by plant life"

so B is out of scope here.

The one that stands is D cz thats the only choice which attacks the premise that plants are already saturated to the core of absorbing co2 of whatever form. And thus the conclusion will fail coz nothing else matters !


Hence as per me it should be D

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by prachich1987 » Sat Jan 29, 2011 4:13 am
vatsalroxy wrote:As clearly the argument flows like

1) Sc: ways to remove excessive CO2 frm atmosp
2) How? : Incrs the amt of Co2 that is absorbed by plant life.
3)Concl : Incrs Seaweed farm in ocean.

Catch is the language of the argument where most assume that increasing plants => red Co2 .
But as per the arg.

"remove excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by increasing the amount that is absorbed by plant life"

so B is out of scope here.

The one that stands is D cz thats the only choice which attacks the premise that plants are already saturated to the core of absorbing co2 of whatever form. And thus the conclusion will fail coz nothing else matters !


Hence as per me it should be D
Scientifically there should not be any saturation point for the amount of CO2 absorbed by plants
May be there are not enough no of plants & hence a limited amount of CO2 is absorbed
Planting seaweeds will help in decreasing CO2 at least to some extent...

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by prachich1987 » Sat Jan 29, 2011 4:20 am
@diebeatsthegmat : I checked on gmatclub as well as on scribd.com
The answer given is B only
From where you get E?

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by vatsalroxy » Sat Jan 29, 2011 4:20 am
Agree with u Prachi on scientific explanation but as far as the lang twist is there. It becomes ugly to challenge the premise on which the conclusion is based. If the question is about decrsng the C02 levels by increasing the trees absorbing them .then its fine..
Ans should be B . But if the question says that increasing the kind of Co2 tat the plants can absorb really makes us think about the sources of Co2 wich the plants will absorb.

Hope you getting my point here?

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by diebeatsthegmat » Mon Jan 31, 2011 1:19 am
prachich1987 wrote:@diebeatsthegmat : I checked on gmatclub as well as on scribd.com
The answer given is B only
From where you get E?
i read the question and saw the answer choice in gmatclub forum and its E and i was suprised... if its B its better and fine for me :)
thanks