Acid rain has been around for thousands of years. Some believe it is a horrible thing and others believe that it doesn’t really cause that much harm to anything. Acid rain is when acidic particles from the ground go up into the atmosphere. Some causes of acid rain include man made and natural. Acid rain can affect many substances including plants and animals. Even though it can affect all of these things, some people still think that it is not such a big deal. In my opinion, acid rain is very bad for the environment and we should do everything in our power to decrease the amount of it, and eventually put an end to it.
The United States contributes around ⅔ of the total sulfur dioxide and ¼ of the total nitrogen oxides to the atmosphere from generating electric power by burning fossil fuels, such as coal. Acid rain forms from these gases when they react with water, oxygen and other gases in the atmosphere to form highly acidic compounds. This results in solutions of nitric and sulfuric acid. Acid rain is a mixture of wet and dry deposition from the atmosphere containing higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acid. There are many forms of acid rain. Wet deposition and dry deposition are two forms of acid rain. Wet deposition is rain, sleet, snow, or fog that has become more acidic than the usual. Dry deposition is another form of acid deposition, which is when the dust particles become acidic.
Acid rain is caused by natural and man made causes. The most common natural cause of acid rain are volcanoes. When the volcano explodes, it sends ash up into the atmosphere which mix with the air particles. This is a natural cause of acid rain. Some man made causes of acid rain are fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are made up of sulfur...
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...d it. As a high school student, there is not many major things I can do to reduce acid rain. But there are some small things that I can do as an individual to help. This includes, turning off the lights, computers, and other devices while I am not using them. Saving electricity is a huge help. Carpooling is also a major help to reduce emissions in the environment to reduce acid rain. Overall, acid rain is a problem and will continue to get worse if we do not immediately take steps to reduce the amount of fossil fuels we burn.
Bibliography
References
Acid rain and pollution problems. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/region1/eco/acidrain/pollproblems.html
The Environment. (2005). Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press.
Nakaya, A. C. (2006). The environment. San Diego: Greenhaven Press.
O'Connor, R. (2004). Acid rain. Farmington Hills, MI: Lucent Books.
The Industrial Revolution was not only a turning point in the progress of human history, but the start of a great change in the Earth’s environment. Technological advances in industry and mass migration into urban areas led to a rising demand for energy sources, a demand met by fossil fuels. Casper, J. (2010) describes coal as ‘symbolic of the beginning of the Industrial Revolution’, the increased combustion of these ‘dirty’ fossil fuels further polluted the air and enhanced the volume of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Changes in land use attributed to population rise, reduced the amount of photosynthesising biomass on Earth, diminished an important ‘carbon sink’ and concluded to enhance the Greenhouse Effect.
Most of the acid rain pollution in our area comes from traffic, the creation of power, and manufacturing. Sometimes, fumes from manufacturing and power plants are created in the west and are blown eastward because
In conclusion, “Acid Rain: Scourge from the Skies” was effective in proving how severe acid rain is and can be. Robert Collins wrote informatively about a notable subject what anyone can comprehend and he used many commendable writing devices which all added to the effectiveness of the essay.
Rain is naturally acidic, due to the CO2 dissolved in it, however when sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen react with the rain water they form sulphuric, and nitric acids which make the rain strongly acidic. SO2 + ½O2 + H2O → H2SO4 It may also take the form of snow or fog. The sulphur dioxides and oxides of nitrogen come mainly from industry. Acid rain is currently a subject of great controversy because of widespread environmental damage for which it has been blamed, including eroding structures, injuring crops and forests, and threatening or depleting life in freshwater lakes.
In the end, the greatest way to help is by spreading awareness. Help spread the word by telling everyone you know about the greenhouse effect and global warming. By making them see what is at stake, and ask them to help save our planet. Encourage others to conserve and share information about recycling and energy conservation with your co-workers, friends, neighbors, and family. Recapping what can be done we all should get out there and plant some trees and plants so we can help the greenhouse gasses to decrease. Reduce the emissions from household products by turning them off. Most importantly remember to spread the word and the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!
Rotting vegetation and erupting volcanoes release some chemicals that can cause acid rain, but most acid rain falls because of human activities. When humans burn fossil fuels, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are released into the atmosphere. If large amounts of NO2 and SO2 are present in the atmosphere than the pH of rainwater will be significantly lowered. Nitric acid (HN03) can be linked to around 1/4 of the acid rain in the environment. Large amounts of NO gas is produced by high-temperature air combustion that takes place in car engines and power plants....
Acid rain affects many things in our world greatly. Acid rain is precipitation that has been released into the atmosphere and is very harmful and can do lots of damage.
Acid gases are produced when fossil fuels like coal and oil are burned in power stations, factories and in our own homes. Acid rain is rain that has been made acidic by certain pollutants in the air. Most of these acid gases are blown into the sky, and when they mix with the clouds it can cause rain - or snow, sleet, fog, mist or hail - to become more acidic. Acid rain is rain that has been made acidic by certain pollutants in the air. Acid rain occurs when these gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form various acidic compounds. The result is a mild solution of sulfuric acid and nitric acid. When sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released from power plants and other sources, prevailing winds blow these
When a motor vehicle runs, it produces nitrogen oxide which then mixes with the sulfur dioxide from power plants and other places. Together the two gasses then interact with molecules in the atmosphere. This interaction makes the molecules acidic and from there either falls as a form of wet deposition or dry deposition. Every day when people get into their form of motorized transportation they all contribute to the creation of acid deposition. In another article written by the EPA they tell of the causes of acid rain. Before humans started pumping these gasses into the air the environment could handle the naturally acidic precipitation, but now the precipitation has become too acidic for nature to be able to counteract the acidity: “ Over time, these neutralizing materials can be washed away by acid rain. Damage to crops, trees, lakes, rivers, and animals can result.”(What Causes Acid Rain? 1) Acid rain can cause damage to many different objects, living, or nonliving acid rain can still
In addition to lowering greenhouse gas levels and using cleaner energy sources, there are things we can do as people to stop climate change. We could reduce our use of electricity at our homes by turning off the lights when we leave the room, turning down/up the heating/ac when it is unnecessary, and using less water. Also, we could install solar panels in our homes and donate money to environmental protection agencies. Hopefully, the people of our world will soon realize climate change is a pressing issue that must be solved as soon as
When we reduce greenhouse gases, we reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere. By not burning things such as fossil fuels as natural gas, coal, oil and gasoline we reduce global warming. Other things we can do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is by using less heat and air conditioning. Some experts say that by just reducing the heat by 2 degrees in the winter and higher in the summer can save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year. Also by reducing, reusing and recycling half of household waste we can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. There are things a person can do hardly without even thinking that can help the cause of climate change such as replacing your lightbulbs, driving less, driving smart, buying energy-efficient products, using less hot water, planting trees and encouraging others to
Liming will not solve the problem of acid rain, to do that we must cut
Every one of us can make his own contribution to make a difference. Steps could be taken at home, at the office, on the road and anywhere else to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gas and any risks made to the climate as much as possible. By taking these steps, you would not only be helping the climate but they can also save you money and improve your health, for example decreasing the use of your car for short distances and instead going by foot. One can also take part in any programmes that are offered on a local or state level to support energy efficiency, or take part in clean energy programs or other climate programmes.
It may be easier to start out in small steps maybe within the individual household, then work towards others on the outside. Any step or effort made is a positive step in the right direction. Changing the behavior and effects on the environment takes the work of all individuals that share this Earth. One person can only make so much of a difference. Personally, I will put effort into my daily life to try using less water by turning off the faucet while brushing my teeth or in between when I’m washing dishes. I have mentioned to my father how he should call the company that comes to your home and takes your grass out and replaces it with gravel which is small rocks. It is paid by the government because you are helping the environment by using less water and you won’t have to water grass anymore. They put plants of your choice that do not require water. I’m sure if I’m capable of taking public transportation to commute to work and school but maybe I will think about changing my car to a hybrid or an electric in the near future. The government also provides grants to families who are interested in solar panels for their home. That will go a long way to help air pollution and our
Acid rain is when chemicals like nitrogen and sulphur-dioxide are released into the atmosphere and react with the water vapour, and acid pours in form of rain. This is very dangerous because it destroys infrastructures and some buildings, and also dissolves the human