Critical Reasoning

Proposal: Carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere block the escape of heat into space. So emission of these "greenhouse" gases contributes to global warming. In order to reduce global warming, emission of greenhouse gases needs to be reduced. Therefore, the methane now emitted from open landfills should instead be burned to produce electricity.
Objection: The burning of methane generates carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere.

Which of the following, if true, most adequately counters the objection made to the proposal?

A. Every time a human being or other mammal exhales, there is some carbon dioxide released into the air.
B. The conversion of methane to electricity would occur at a considerable distance from the landfills.
C. The methane that is used to generate electricity would generally be used as a substitute for a fuel that does not produce any greenhouse gases when burned.
D. Methane in the atmosphere is more effective in blocking the escape of heat from the Earth than is carbon dioxide.
E. The amount of methane emitted from the landfills could be reduced if the materials whose decomposition produces methane were not discarded, but recycled.

If choice D weakens the objection, does it in the same time weaken the proposal?? because as stated in D Methane will be effective in blocking heat and thus increase global warming.So global warming won'e be reduced.

Mo2men wrote:Proposal: Carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere block the escape of heat into space. So emission of these "greenhouse" gases contributes to global warming. In order to reduce global warming, emission of greenhouse gases needs to be reduced. Therefore, the methane now emitted from open landfills should instead be burned to produce electricity.
Objection: The burning of methane generates carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere.

Which of the following, if true, most adequately counters the objection made to the proposal?

A. Every time a human being or other mammal exhales, there is some carbon dioxide released into the air.
B. The conversion of methane to electricity would occur at a considerable distance from the landfills.
C. The methane that is used to generate electricity would generally be used as a substitute for a fuel that does not produce any greenhouse gases when burned.
D. Methane in the atmosphere is more effective in blocking the escape of heat from the Earth than is carbon dioxide.
E. The amount of methane emitted from the landfills could be reduced if the materials whose decomposition produces methane were not discarded, but recycled.

If choice D weakens the objection, does it in the same time weaken the proposal?? because as stated in D Methane will be effective in blocking heat and thus increase global warming.So global warming won'e be reduced.

Proposal: Methane should be used to produce electricity
Objection: Burning Methane will produce carbon dioxide, which also contributes to global warming.

We need to weaken this objection. What if the global warming by methane is more that the global warming by CO2?
In this case, the proposal works just fine and we weaken the objection.

The same is said in the choice D.
Does this help?

Mo2men wrote:Proposal: Carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere block the escape of heat into space. So emission of these "greenhouse" gases contributes to global warming. In order to reduce global warming, emission of greenhouse gases needs to be reduced. Therefore, the methane now emitted from open landfills should instead be burned to produce electricity.
Objection: The burning of methane generates carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere.

Which of the following, if true, most adequately counters the objection made to the proposal?

A. Every time a human being or other mammal exhales, there is some carbon dioxide released into the air.
B. The conversion of methane to electricity would occur at a considerable distance from the landfills.
C. The methane that is used to generate electricity would generally be used as a substitute for a fuel that does not produce any greenhouse gases when burned.
D. Methane in the atmosphere is more effective in blocking the escape of heat from the Earth than is carbon dioxide.
E. The amount of methane emitted from the landfills could be reduced if the materials whose decomposition produces methane were not discarded, but recycled.

If choice D weakens the objection, does it in the same time weaken the proposal?? because as stated in D Methane will be effective in blocking heat and thus increase global warming.So global warming won'e be reduced.

Proposal: Methane emitted from open landfills should be burned to produce electricity.
Objection: The burning of methane generates carbon dioxide.

Which of the following, if true, most adequately counters the objection made to the proposal?

to counter an objection to a proposal = to SUPPORT the proposal.
Here, the correct answer choice must SUPPORT the conclusion that methane should be burned to produce electricity, DESPITE the resulting generation of carbon dioxide.

D: Methane in the atmosphere is more effective in blocking the escape of heat from the Earth than is carbon dioxide.
Implication:
Methane causes more global warming than does carbon dioxide, SUPPORTING the conclusion that methane should be burned to produce electricity, despite the resulting generation of carbon dioxide.

The correct answer is D.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

Mo2men wrote:Proposal: Carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere block the escape of heat into space. So emission of these "greenhouse" gases contributes to global warming. In order to reduce global warming, emission of greenhouse gases needs to be reduced. Therefore, the methane now emitted from open landfills should instead be burned to produce electricity.
Objection: The burning of methane generates carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere.

Which of the following, if true, most adequately counters the objection made to the proposal?

A. Every time a human being or other mammal exhales, there is some carbon dioxide released into the air.
B. The conversion of methane to electricity would occur at a considerable distance from the landfills.
C. The methane that is used to generate electricity would generally be used as a substitute for a fuel that does not produce any greenhouse gases when burned.
D. Methane in the atmosphere is more effective in blocking the escape of heat from the Earth than is carbon dioxide.
E. The amount of methane emitted from the landfills could be reduced if the materials whose decomposition produces methane were not discarded, but recycled.

If choice D weakens the objection, does it in the same time weaken the proposal?? because as stated in D Methane will be effective in blocking heat and thus increase global warming.So global warming won'e be reduced.

Proposal: Methane emitted from open landfills should be burned to produce electricity.
Objection: The burning of methane generates carbon dioxide.

Which of the following, if true, most adequately counters the objection made to the proposal?

to counter an objection to a proposal = to SUPPORT the proposal.
Here, the correct answer choice must SUPPORT the conclusion that methane should be burned to produce electricity, DESPITE the resulting generation of carbon dioxide.

D: Methane in the atmosphere is more effective in blocking the escape of heat from the Earth than is carbon dioxide.
Implication:
Methane causes more global warming than does carbon dioxide, SUPPORTING the conclusion that methane should be burned to produce electricity, despite the resulting generation of carbon dioxide.

The correct answer is D.

Thanks Mitch

can you shed some lights about Choice C? why wrong?

Mo2men wrote:

the correct answer choice must SUPPORT the conclusion that methane should be burned to produce electricity, DESPITE the resulting generation of carbon dioxide.

Thanks Mitch

can you shed some lights about Choice C? why wrong?

C: The methane that is used to generate electricity would generally be used as a substitute for a fuel that does not produce any greenhouse gases when burned.
Implication:
A fuel that does NOT produce greenhouse gases will be replaced by methane, which DOES produce greenhouse gases.
The result will be an INCREASE in the emission of greenhouse gases.
Since the goal of the plan is to REDUCE the emission of greenhouse gases, the conclusion that methane should be burned to produce electricity is WEAKENED.
Eliminate C.