Question

humans can get energy from resources other than fossil fuels. some of these resources are called renewable energy resources.
renewable energy is collected from natural resources, such as sunlight or wind. these resources do not run out when humans use them.
the table below shows the average co₂ emissions for different energy sources. emissions are shown as metric tons of co₂ that are released when a single terawatt - hour (twh) of energy is produced.
which of the following statements best explains why using renewable energy resources in place of fossil fuels reduces co₂ emissions?
renewable energy resources release less carbon dioxide into the air than fossil fuels do.
fossil fuels can be used up, while renewable energy resources cannot.

Explanation:

The table shows that renewable energy has lower \(CO_2\) emissions (26,000 metric tons \(CO_2/TWh\)) compared to fossil fuels (natural gas: 181,000, petroleum: 254,000, coal: 325,000). The first statement focuses on \(CO_2\) emissions reduction, which is directly related to the data. The second statement is about resource availability (renewable vs non - renewable) and not about \(CO_2\) emissions reduction.

Answer:

Renewable energy resources release less carbon dioxide into the air than fossil fuels do.