gmatt1476
In a certain rural area, people normally dispose of household garbage by burning it. Burning household garbage releases toxic chemicals known as dioxins. New conservation regulations will require a major reduction in packaging—specifically, paper and cardboard packaging—for products sold in the area. Since such packaging materials contain dioxins, one result of the implementation of the new regulations will surely be a reduction in dioxin pollution in the area.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
A. Garbage containing large quantities of paper and cardboard can easily burn hot enough for some portion of the dioxins that it contains to be destroyed.
B. Packaging materials typically make up only a small proportion of the weight of household garbage, but a relatively large proportion of its volume.
C. Per-capita sales of products sold in paper and cardboard packaging are lower in rural areas than in urban areas.
D. The new conservation regulations were motivated by a need to cut down on the consumption of paper products in order to bring the harvesting of timber into a healthier balance with its regrowth.
E. It is not known whether the dioxins released by the burning of household garbage have been the cause of any serious health problems.
CR53140.01
GMATNinja AjiteshArun VeritasKarishmaHere is my reasoning for refuting option 'A', and I have seen this reasoning applied many times in many other CR questions,
The conclusion is that 'the implementation of the new regulations will surely lead to a reduction in dioxin pollution in the area' and we need to weaken this.
Now the new reg. is that there is a major reduction in packaging—specifically, paper and cardboard packaging, which are a source of dioxins.
Option 'A' says, 'Garbage containing large quantities of paper and cardboard can easily burn hot enough for some portion of the dioxins that it contains to be destroyed'. But, can we be still sure that the amount of dioxins containing packaging that will be taken out from usage in that area will lead to ZERO reduction in the dioxin pollution just because there is some dioxin which will now be released in the atmosphere from the leftover MINOR quantity of dioxin packaging ?
In other words, the amount of dioxins that now will be released will be greater than the amount of dioxin that would have been released in the atmosphere due to burning of that MAJOR quantity of packaging.
Really not sure, if it's a sound reasoning to accept answer as option 'A', as I have seen the above reasoning used a number of times to refute an answer.
Please hep me out here.
Thanks
Saurabh
We need to weaken the argument, not establish it beyond doubt.
In a certain area, people burn their garbage which releases dioxins (say everyday, 100 tonnes of relevant is burnt which releases 1000 cubic feet of dioxin)
New regulations require reduction in paper and cardboard packaging in this area (say only 50 tonnes of relevant garbage will be produced).
This packaging contains dioxins.
Conclusion: Dioxin pollution in the area will reduce. (Now, 50 tonnes will produce only 500 cubic feet of dioxin)
But we need to weaken it.
A. Garbage containing large quantities of paper and cardboard can easily burn hot enough for some portion of the dioxins that it contains to be destroyed.
When we burn 100 tonnes of garbage, it burns hot enough to destroy some dioxin. So dioxin contained may have been 2000 cubic feet but only 1000 cubic feet is released because the other 1000 cubic feet is destroyed
Now, when we will burn 50 tonnes of garbage, it will not burn hot enough so entire 1000 cubic feet might be released in air. So dioxin pollution may not reduce. This makes us doubt our conclusion and that is all we want.