#12 - Because dried peat moss, which is derived from

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Strengthen. The correct answer choice is (B)

Gardeners like using large amounts of dried peat moss in soil conditioning because it is a renewable
resource and it doesn’t have any chemicals; based on these attributes, these gardeners believe
that they are being environmentally responsible. The author disagrees, because sphagnum moss,
from which peat moss is derived, provides more oxygen than all of the earth’s rain forests but its
renewability cannot keep pace with soil industry’s depletion.

• Premise: The millions of acres of sphagnum moss provide more oxygen than all rain
  forests combined.
  
  Premise: Sphagnum moss is being depleted by the soil industry faster than it can be
  renewed.
  
  Conclusion: Despite the fact that the moss is renewable and chemical-free, gardeners’ use
  of the moss is not environmentally sound.

The question stem that follows asks for the answer choice that “most justifies” (in other words,
strengthens) the author’s conclusion. The correct answer choice will support the notion that the
gardeners’ use of peat moss is not environmentally responsible, regardless of the fact that the moss is
renewable and chemical-free.

Answer choice (A): The fact that using certain products “may” be environmentally unsound despite
their being renewable and chemical-free is a very weak premise; this choice simply provides that
the author “may” be right. Since the assertion that the author may be right does not really bolster the
argument, this choice should be eliminated.

Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice, because, combined with the fact that the
peat moss reduces the oxygen to the atmosphere, this answer supports the author’s conclusion that
the gardeners’ use of the moss is environmentally unsound.

Answer choice (C): This incorrect answer choice deals with the protection of rain forests, which is
not a topic that is discussed in the stimulus. Further, the author’s conclusion is that the gardeners’ use
of peat moss is environmentally unsound, and a choice that defines a given practice as sound could
not bolster the author’s argument in this case.

Answer choice (D): This choice provides that if a cost-benefit analysis of a given practice shows net
benefits, then that practice is environmentally sound. No such analysis is made in the stimulus, and
the author is not asserting that any particular act is environmentally sound; the author’s conclusion
only deals with defining one specific practice as unsound. This choice provides no support for the
author’s argument, so it cannot be the right answer.

Answer choice (E): The author is only asserting that the use of peat moss is environmentally
unsound—the stimulus does provide that the sphagnum moss is getting depleted, but it is not clear
that the moss is a threatened resource. Since this assertion does not really apply to the author’s
argument, it cannot be the correct answer to this Strengthen question.

[aslayton1]

The wording in the later half of this question is very confusing. It goes "The millions of acres of sphagnum moss in the world contribute more oxygen to the atmosphere than do all of the world's rain forests combined, and the garden soil industry is depleting these areas much faster than they can renew themselves."

The correct answer is B. While I do understand why that is, the fact that they use the word "significant" to describe "reduction" is hard for me because from the information above we can't deduce that the total net reduction is significant.

[Steve Stein]

Hi,

Interesting question--what is "significant"? Tough to pin down, although this moss does seem to have an impressive effect: Millions of acres, producing more oxygen than all of the rain forests combined...

One could make an argument that we can't be sure in any absolute sense what is significant, you would be well advised to hold on to this choice as a "maybe."

To a larger point, which may seem elementary to some, but certainly escapes many, the questions on the LSAT are often best answered by process of elimination. Since none of the other choices are supported by the stimulus, even if I were a bit hesitant about the meaning of "significant" ruling the others out would increase my confidence in B as the correct choice.

I hope that's helpful! Let me know--thanks!

~Steve

[avengingangel]

I originally held A and B as Contenders at first read, but then ultimately went with B as my correct answer choice (it was making the connection of not being environmentally sound to the depletion ) But this question, being a strengthen question, and me holding A as a Contender, made me wonder: In strengthen and/or Justify questions, will you (ever) find answer choices that have "may be" or "perhaps" types of words in them as the correct answer choice? I feel they're usually more absolute / all encompassing type of answers. Yes, or am I making that up? Thanks!

[David Boyle]

I originally held A and B as Contenders at first read, but then ultimately went with B as my correct answer choice (it was making the connection of not being environmentally sound to the depletion ) But this question, being a strengthen question, and me holding A as a Contender, made me wonder: In strengthen and/or Justify questions, will you (ever) find answer choices that have "may be" or "perhaps" types of words in them as the correct answer choice? I feel they're usually more absolute / all encompassing type of answers. Yes, or am I making that up? Thanks!

Hello,

in Strengthen questions, it might not be impossible to find words like "may be" or "perhaps", even if it is rare. It should be more rare, or nonexistent, for Justify questions, which tend to demand a sort of absolute loyalty.
...A Strengthen question tends not to be a very absolute answer; otherwise, it'd probably be a Justify question!

David

[willmcchez]

I'm not understanding why D is incorrect.

The argument is stating that using large amounts of sphagnum moss is environmentally unsound and the rest of the argument explains how harvesting so much of this moss has a greater environmental cost than a benefit. Thus, if D is established as "valid" (which I'm reading as "true"), doesn't it justify the argument's reasoning? Or the conclusion that people are mistaken in thinking that the practice is environmentally sound?

[willmcchez]

I'm not understanding why D is incorrect.

The argument is stating that using large amounts of sphagnum moss is environmentally unsound and the rest of the argument explains how harvesting so much of this moss has a greater environmental cost than a benefit. Thus, if D is established as "valid" (which I'm reading as "true"), doesn't it justify the argument's reasoning? Or the conclusion that people are mistaken in thinking that the practice is environmentally sound?

Bumping this. I know the forum was down for a bit, but I could use some clarity.

[Adam Tyson]

Think of it conditionally, willmcchez - the argument might be viewed as "the costs outweigh the benefits, so using sphagnum moss is not environmentally sound". A diagram might be:

C>B ES

Answer D looks an awful lot like a Mistaken Negation of that argument! Not exactly, because benefits outweighing costs isn't exactly the same as the costs not outweighing the benefits (polar opposite rather than logical opposite, leaving out the possibility of being cost/benefit neutral), but close enough. That diagram might be:

B>V ES

A Mistaken Negation doesn't strengthen a conditional claim! Certainly not as much as answer B does, which neatly makes the premise (using the moss reduces oxygen) sufficient for the conclusion (it's not environmentally sound).

Another problem with answer D is that we don't KNOW that the costs outweigh the benefits, do we? We only know about ONE cost - the net reduction in oxygen production. Perhaps there are other benefits, and they outweigh that cost? So answer D assumes facts not in evidence (to use a legal term of art).

Thanks for the bump, and sorry for the long delay. We've been a bit backed up, but we're trying to catch up as fast as we can!

[ericau02]

Im confused where does it say that peat moss reduces oxygen in the stimulus is says that "the millions of acres of sphagnum moss in the world contribute more oxygen to the atmosphere than do all the the rain forest combined..." How is that saying it is reducing the oxygen I am very confused.

[Brook Miscoski]

erica,

The stimulus states that sphagnum moss (not dried peat moss) creates more oxygen than the rain forests. Thus, killing the sphagnum peat moss by drying it and using it for gardening purposes is reducing oxygen.