Question

Read the excerpt from Teagan’s essay about deforestation.

Deforestation is a global catastrophe, with billions of trees being chopped down each year. The primary justification for the destruction of forests all over the world is an increased demand for agricultural products—especially cattle. People require food, and they must have a place to grow and raise it. Deforestation not only clears vegetation that removes carbon dioxide from the air, but the very act of clearing forests increases greenhouse gas emissions. This is why becoming vegan is the healthiest choice when determining lifestyle changes.

Why does the author present a non sequitur in the excerpt?

to describe deforestation as a global issue
to provide evidence to justify a lifestyle choice
to explain the reason behind the increasing demand for food
to show that agricultural products have negative consequences

Answer 1

to provide evidence to justify a lifestyle choice

The author jumps from describing deforestation and its harms to claiming veganism is the healthiest lifestyle choice, which is an attempt to use the environmental information as justification for a personal lifestyle decision — a non sequitur.