Acid Rain Essay, Research Paper

When thought of acid rain, some people may think of green, burning acid falling from the sky, destroying everything in sight. This may be a bit ridiculous and hard to believe, but as absurd as it sound, it is not far from the truth. Acid deposition has long been a subject of debate because of the widespread environ-mental damage it is responsible for. As one of the major results of air pollution, acid rain can corrode metal and limestone structures, leach important minerals, decreased fertility of soils, and lower pH in lakes and ponds. For those who fear “the end of the world,” acid rain may pose a threat as it creates a bad environment for both animal and human. And for those who care about our planet, maybe it is about time we stop destroying it and give something back to Mother Earth.There are numerous causes of acid precipitation, several of these are insignificant and accumulate into severe cases. However, there are also some sources that are menacing by itself, sources such as industrial emissions. In some cases, acid rain is caused when industrial fumes mix with moisture in the atmosphere. Acids are then carried in clouds for long distances before they are deposited through rain, which indicates that forests and lakes far away from factories may be damaged by acid rain. Another significant cause of acid rain is automobile exhaust. Research has shown that although industrial emission makes up for most causes, sulfur dioxide from oil and coal combustionand nitrogen oxides produced from automobile engines have greatly intensified the problem. Electric power plants are also to blame for this issue. Recent study has shown that power plants are accountable for the release of more than 20 million tons of sulfur Per. 3 dioxide each year. Meaning that 10 years from now, there would be around 30 million tons of acid rain components in our atmosphere. What’s even worst than acid rain and its causes are the results. Acid deposition can cause a number of disasters, some of the serious effects includes structure eradication. The marble frieze panels on the Parthenon of Athens for example, has been transformed by acid rain into gypsum. Loosing much of its details, the exterior of the Parthenon is also beginning to crack and flake off. The effects of acid rain can also be seen in lakes, rivers, and streams and plant growth. Acidity in water kills practically all life forms. By the early ’90s, tens of thousands of lakes had been destroyed by acid rain. The problem has been most severe in Norway, Sweden, and Canada. Trees and plants had also been victims of acid deposition. In 1984, for example, environmental reports proved that almost fifty-percent of the trees in Germany’s Black Forest had been damaged by acid rain. The forests of northeastern United States and eastern Canada have also been especially affected by this form of pollution. There are many solutions to the acid rain issue: smokestack scrubbers, use of unleaded gas, General Motor’s EV1, etc. However, these changes do cost money. And along with that, the governments have tended to stress the need for further studies considering the cost of pollution reductions. Consequently, if the money is the main issue, maybe the question we need to ask ourselves is, “How much money is our planet worth?”