What is Acid Rain?
"Acid rain" is a broad term referring to a mixture of wet and dry deposition (deposited material) from the atmosphere containing higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. The precursors, or chemical forerunners, of acid rain formation result from both natural sources, such as volcanoes and decaying vegetation, and man-made sources, primarily emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) resulting from fossil fuel combustion. In the United States, roughly 2/3 of all SO2 and 1/4 of all NOx come from electric power generation that relies on burning fossil fuels, like coal. Acid rain occurs when these gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form various acidic compounds. Another cause of these emissions is from lava bedrock called basalt. The eruption of this volcano releases the same emissions that we release from our cars and factories on a daily basis.
Why should we care?
The most obvious environmental effect of acid rain has been the loss of fish in acid sensitive lakes and streams. Many species of fish are not able to survive in acidic water. Most of the effects on forests are subtle. Acid deposition may influence forest vegetation and soils. Acid rain weakens the trees’ natural defenses, making them more vulnerable to diseases. Acid rain has been cited as a contributing factor to the decline of the spruce-fir forests throughout the Eastern United States. Acid rain may remove soil nutrients such as calcium and magnesium from soils in high elevation forests and cause damage to needles of Red Spruce. Acid rain may also help weaken natural defenses of some trees, making them more vulnerable to some diseases and pests. But who care about some tress and lakes? Why is it important? It’s important because without trees or fresh water then what is left to sustain human life? Those are two of the most important variables to being able to survive.
Call to Action:
If we do not as a society come together then the earth will parish and humans along with it. We are already blowing through our natural resources faster than they can reproduce. We are causing mass devastation and will soon come to a point where we as a society cannot produce for ourselves. But that fine because we all have our fancy cars and can take selfies, right? Wrong without fresh water, trees free of disease then how are we expected to survive? O that’s right, we won’t be able too. If we do not start finding natural and environmentally friendly ways to produce and utilize energy then our world will parish before our eyes. Acid rain is only one of the effects of humans burning fossil fuels. So my challenge to you is to turn off a light when it is light outside, take shorter showers, and watch less television. Go outside and enjoy it. If we all come together and begin to practice tasks such as this then we will be able to grow as a society and protect the only earth, the only home that we have.
For more information please follow these links:
http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects/surface_water.html
http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/educ/acidrain.aspx
http://www.scienceclarified.com/A-Al/Acid-Rain.html
https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/04/21/acid-rain-toxic-leaded-gas-and-widespread-air-pollution-not-anymore-thanks-epa
"Acid rain" is a broad term referring to a mixture of wet and dry deposition (deposited material) from the atmosphere containing higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. The precursors, or chemical forerunners, of acid rain formation result from both natural sources, such as volcanoes and decaying vegetation, and man-made sources, primarily emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) resulting from fossil fuel combustion. In the United States, roughly 2/3 of all SO2 and 1/4 of all NOx come from electric power generation that relies on burning fossil fuels, like coal. Acid rain occurs when these gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form various acidic compounds. Another cause of these emissions is from lava bedrock called basalt. The eruption of this volcano releases the same emissions that we release from our cars and factories on a daily basis.
Why should we care?
The most obvious environmental effect of acid rain has been the loss of fish in acid sensitive lakes and streams. Many species of fish are not able to survive in acidic water. Most of the effects on forests are subtle. Acid deposition may influence forest vegetation and soils. Acid rain weakens the trees’ natural defenses, making them more vulnerable to diseases. Acid rain has been cited as a contributing factor to the decline of the spruce-fir forests throughout the Eastern United States. Acid rain may remove soil nutrients such as calcium and magnesium from soils in high elevation forests and cause damage to needles of Red Spruce. Acid rain may also help weaken natural defenses of some trees, making them more vulnerable to some diseases and pests. But who care about some tress and lakes? Why is it important? It’s important because without trees or fresh water then what is left to sustain human life? Those are two of the most important variables to being able to survive.
Call to Action:
If we do not as a society come together then the earth will parish and humans along with it. We are already blowing through our natural resources faster than they can reproduce. We are causing mass devastation and will soon come to a point where we as a society cannot produce for ourselves. But that fine because we all have our fancy cars and can take selfies, right? Wrong without fresh water, trees free of disease then how are we expected to survive? O that’s right, we won’t be able too. If we do not start finding natural and environmentally friendly ways to produce and utilize energy then our world will parish before our eyes. Acid rain is only one of the effects of humans burning fossil fuels. So my challenge to you is to turn off a light when it is light outside, take shorter showers, and watch less television. Go outside and enjoy it. If we all come together and begin to practice tasks such as this then we will be able to grow as a society and protect the only earth, the only home that we have.
For more information please follow these links:
http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects/surface_water.html
http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/educ/acidrain.aspx
http://www.scienceclarified.com/A-Al/Acid-Rain.html
https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/04/21/acid-rain-toxic-leaded-gas-and-widespread-air-pollution-not-anymore-thanks-epa