Question

A student suggested that fossil fuels should be considered renewable resources because they were formed by natural processes that still take place today. Which of these BEST describes the main problem with the student’s suggestion?

A. High levels of atmospheric oxygen cause organic material to decay rather than form fossils.
B. It takes millions of years for fossil fuels to form from dead and decaying matter.
C. Sedimentation rates are lower today than in the past, so very few fossils are preserved.
D. The plants and animals whose bodies became fossil fuels are now extinct.

Answer 1

The main issue lies in the extinction of the specific plants and animals that formed fossil fuels, making their replenishment impossible within human timescales.So the correct option is D.

Step-by-step explanation:

The main issue with considering fossil fuels as renewable stems from option D:

the extinction of the organisms involved.

Fossil fuels, like coal, oil, and natural gas, were formed from organic matter, primarily ancient plants and marine organisms.

These organisms underwent a specific process of decomposition and transformation over millions of years to create these fuels.

However, the flora and fauna responsible for generating these fuels are extinct.

Their reproduction and regeneration within human timeframes are impossible, making the formation of new fossil fuels unfeasible.

While natural processes still occur, the crucial factor is the absence of the specific ancient organisms necessary for the creation of these fuels.

Thus, their scarcity and non-renewable nature persist despite ongoing natural processes.

So the correct option is D.