Question

katy and todd were investigating human impact on global carbon emissions. they researched and gathered data from all over the world. they created the double line graph shown. which of the following identifies an appropriate conclusion based on the data provided? human population and carbon emissions are unrelated. as the human population decreases, carbon emissions increase. the human population is in decline. therefore, there is no relation between population and carbon emissions. as the human population increases, carbon emissions decrease. more humans means that they are burning less fossil fuels, which releases carbon. as the human population increases, so does the amount of carbon released. more humans means that they are burning more fossil fuels, which releases carbon.

Explanation:

A double - line graph showing human population and carbon emissions. If we assume a positive correlation (as is logical in real - world scenarios where more people generally lead to more activities like burning fossil fuels which emit carbon).

• The first option "Human population and carbon emissions are unrelated" is incorrect because a double - line graph (assuming a typical trend) would show some relation.
• The second option "As the human population decreases, carbon emissions increase. The human population is in decline. Therefore, there is no relation between population and carbon emissions" is wrong. Human population is not in decline in general (global population is increasing), and if population decreased and emissions increased, it still might not mean no relation (could be other factors at play, but the general trend assumption for the problem).
• The third option "As the human population increases, carbon emissions decrease. More humans means that they are burning less fossil fuels, which releases carbon" is against common sense (more people usually lead to more consumption of fossil fuels).
• The fourth option "As the human population increases, so does the amount of carbon released. More humans means that they are burning more fossil fuels, which releases carbon" is a reasonable conclusion based on the general understanding of the relationship between population growth and carbon - related activities (like energy consumption from fossil fuels).

Answer:

As the human population increases, so does the amount of carbon released. More humans means that they are burning more fossil fuels, which releases carbon.