Question

Select incorrect statements about the carbon cycle.

• A. Carbon dioxide levels fluctuate during the year.
• B. Carbon dioxide levels are rising because of consumption of fossil fuels.
• C. Atmospheric carbon dioxide will eventually be transferred to the oceans.
• D. Carbon dioxide levels are up because of the burning of forests.
• E. Carbon dioxide levels can be reduced by cleaning the gases that leave the smokestacks of power generating facilities.

Answer 1

The correct option is E Carbon dioxide levels can be reduced by cleaning the gases that leave the smokestacks of power generating facilities.

The carbon cycle is a biogeochemical cycle in which the carbon present in the atmosphere is recycled and reused in the biosphere. This involves the incorporation of carbon dioxide into living tissue by photosynthesis and its return to the atmosphere through respiration, the decay of dead organisms, and the burning of fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide being a greenhouse gas traps heat in the atmosphere without which other greenhouse gases and earth would be a frozen world. However, the large-scale burning of fossil fuels has led to more than 30% increase in the carbon dioxide levels of the air, making the earth a warmer place.

So, the correct answer is option E.