ACID RAIN: CAUSE, EFFECTS AND SOLUTIONS

    The enormous growth in human population is the primary responsible for the existence of worldwide environmental problems. Acid Rain is one of the most debatable issues among scientists and policy makers.

    The term acid rain was first discovered by an English chemist named Robert Agnus in the year 1852. It refers to acid deposition caused by airborne pollutants that are highly destructive both on people and on the natural ecosystems of the world.

    The primary causes of acid rain are sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide --- invisible gases or chemicals that are usually released by automobiles, coal burning power plants and sometimes by our nature.

    The power plants that use coal as their fuel emit 100 million tons of sulfur dioxide. The automobiles produce about half of the world’s nitrogen oxide. Other power plants that burn fossil fuels also emit nitrogen oxide contributing a lot of chemicals that increases the acid rain production.

    The natural causes of acid rain that greatly increase the amount of nitrogen oxide on the planet comes from fires, volcanic eruptions, bacterial decomposition and lightning.

    As the density of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide increases, so does the amount of acid rain that when comes down the earth, it takes the form of rain, snow, hail, fog, frost or dew. It harms and even destroys both the natural ecosystems and man- made products.

   Acid rain rises the acidity level on bodies of water such as lakes an rivers that causes the death of their inhabitants. Acidic water also ruins the plant’s nutrients, hurting plants ability to survive and to give life to other organisms.

   Human made products also experience degradation like car’s can lose finishes and outdoor statues began to rust.

   The effects of acid rain are highly destructive and long lasting, reasons for scientists, environmentalists, and governments to contribute ways of preventing it.

   According to them, power plants can use coal with low sulfur content, remove sulfur from smoke that the plant’s releases and limit processes that generate high levels of acid rain. The factories ca use sulfur cleaning scrubbers, wash sulfur out of coal and find new methods to reduce acid rain creation.

   Everyone must help to limit the emission of gases that cause acid rain. Individuals could contribute by conserving energy and driving fewer cars. Through these simple things, the amount of harmful chemicals that produces acid rain can be reduced.

source: http://library.thinkquest.org/26026/Environmental_Problems/environmental_problems.html