Burning biodiesel derived from plant oils does what to the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere compared to burning fossil fuels derived from drilling for oil?Group of answer choicesThe atmospheric CO2 concentration increasesThe atmospheric CO2 concentration stays the sameThe atmospheric CO2 concentration decreases
Question
Burning biodiesel derived from plant oils does what to the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere compared to burning fossil fuels derived from drilling for oil?Group of answer choicesThe atmospheric CO2 concentration increasesThe atmospheric CO2 concentration stays the sameThe atmospheric CO2 concentration decreases
Solution
Burning biodiesel derived from plant oils is considered to be carbon neutral. This means that the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) these plants absorb from the atmosphere while growing is roughly the same as the amount released when the biodiesel is burned. Therefore, the atmospheric CO2 concentration stays the same.
On the other hand, burning fossil fuels adds to the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. This is because the carbon in fossil fuels has been sequestered underground for millions of years and is released into the atmosphere when the fuels are burned.
So, compared to burning fossil fuels derived from drilling for oil, burning biodiesel derived from plant oils does not increase the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere.
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