Acid Rain--A Contemporary World Problem
Acid rain is one of the most dangerous and widespread forms of pollution. Sometimes called "the unseen plague," acid rain can go undetected in an area for years. Technically, acid rain is rain that has a larger amount of acid in it than what is normal. The acidity of rain in parts of Europe and North America has dramatically increased over the past few decades. It is now common in many places for rain to be ten to seventy times more acid than unpolluted rain. Many living and non-living systems become harmed and damaged as a result of acid rain. This website gives an informational, in-depth look at acid rain--it's causes and effects; and solutions to the acid rain problem.
Causes of Acid Rain
Acid rain is caused by smoke and gases that are given off by factories and cars that run on fossil fuels. When these fuels are burned to produce energy, the sulfur that is present in the fuel combines with oxygen and becomes sulfur dioxide; some of the nitrogen in the air becomes nitrogen oxide. These pollutants go into the atmosphere, and become acid.
Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide are produced especially when coal is burnt for fuel. Burning coal produces electricity, and the more electricity that people use, the more coal is burnt. Of course, nowadays people probably couldn't live without electricity, so coal will continue to be burnt; but electricity and energy are constantly being overused. Think of it this way: every time you turn on a light switch or the television set without really needing to, you're indirectly contributing to the acid rain problem. Automobiles produce nitrogen oxides (which cause acid rain), so every time you don't carpool when you can, you are helping to cause acid rain. So now that we know what causes acid rain, here's a look at how acid rain can hurt you and the world around you. . .
Effects of Acid Rain
Click here to find out how acid rain affects the environment
Click here to see what acid rain can do to architecture
Click here to see how acid rain can harm people
Now that you know the horrors and harmful effects of acid rain, you may want to know how we can stop it. Continue reading below for solutions to the acid rain problem. . .
Solutions to the Acid Rain Problem
Acid rain is a big problem, but it is not unstoppable. If the amount of sulfur dioxides and nitrogen oxides in the air is reduced, then acid rain will be reduced. There are many helpful things that "normal" people (people who aren't part of a power company or the government) can do. First of all, conserve energy and pollute less! Use less electricity; and carpool, use public transportation, or walk when you can. This will help more than one might think. When less energy is used, less coal is burnt, and as a result, there is less acid rain. Experts say that if energy was used more carefully, we could cut the amount of fuel burned in half!
Also, if coal was cleaned before it was burnt, the dangerous pollutants that cause acid rain would be cleaned away. If coal is crushed and washed in water, the sulfur washes out. However, this is a very costly method, and many power companies and governments do not want to spend their money cleaning coal. It is also costly to burn low-sulfur coal (low-sulfur coal gives off less sulfur in the air as opposed to high-sulfur coal).
People can help by writing letters or making phone calls to their power companies or their local/state/federal governments. They may not want to spend their money to stop acid rain, but if enough people speak out and voice their opinions, changes will have to be made. If you need someplace to start, here is the address to the U.S. Department of Energy:
U.S. Department of Energy
EE-11
1000 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20585-0121
Also, if you want to write to a power plant, you can find almost every major power and energy plant in the United States if you Click here now! This link will take you to a webpage courtesy of EPA.
What Acid Rain Hath Wrought Internationally
Acid rain truly is an international problem. Every continent on earth suffers from acid rain (to either a greater or lesser degree). Click here to find out what acid rain has done to other countries.
Links to Other Acid Rain Sites
I used these websites to help me gather information. They are very helpful and interesting, so be sure to check them out!
Click here for another really great website about acid rain
Click here for a website with that answers frequently asked questions about acid rain
MAC Pharma Network, an online health resource with information about different environmental and health issues
GEsource, a great resource for more info about geography and the environment
Sources and Bibliography
Water: The Vital Resource. Jones, Norma. Wylie, TX: Information Plus. 1993
Acid Rain. McCormick, John. New York: Gloucester Press. 1986
Acid Rain. Tyson, Peter. New York: Chelsea House. 1992.
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If you have questions or comments, feel free to write to me, but since I created this website as a high school research project, I don't have any more information about acid rain than what is on this site. At any rate: Click here to write to me
This page was built in May 2000