Acid Rain: Its Effects And What You Can Do To Help

Acid rain is relatively unseen and hard to detect, but itcorroded by acid rain. In addition, other objects can be
is a widespread serious problem that probably affectsaffected such as bridges, underground pipes, and
the area where you live today. Acid rain is defined asartwork on historical buildings. - Currently, both the
rain that has a higher acidic content than normal due torailway and airline industries have to be diligent to repair
unnatural (human produced) processes. The severitythe corrosive damage done by acid rain. - Humans can
of the problem in your area depends on factorsbecome seriously ill and can even die from the effects
ranging from how close you are to conventionalof acid rain because it can cause respiratory problems,
coal-fired power plants, how much rainfall there is total,particularly in those who are already vulnerable such
and upper and lower atmosphere wind currents. If onlyas people with asthma. Acid rain is caused by smoke
the effects of acid rain were as innocuous as theand gases that are given off by factories and cars.
definition! In North America, for example, the problemSimply put, the pollutants in the exhaust go into the
has progressed so that rainwater can have anywhereatmosphere, and become acid that comes back down
from 1000% to 7000% too much acid content.mixed with rain. A great deal of acid rain is produced
Standing water, where some evaporation haswhen coal is burned to produce electricity. There are
occurred, or water that has been absorbed andways to clean the coal, called clean coal technology,
filtered by the soil can have an even larger acidbut these methods are expensive and would probably
content. Rainwater that is too acidic can cause manyrequire government subsidies or new technological
types of problem, such as: - Acid rain can defoliatebreakthroughs to be viable. Anyone can help reduce
trees (making them lose their leaves or needles). Thisthe problem of acid rain. You can write to your
can eventually lead to the tree dying if there is nogovernment official to promote clean coal technology,
intervention. Trees can also suffer from stuntedyou can invest in companies that are developing new
growth, and become weakened so that they arefossil fuel-free cars, such as fuel cell and electric cars.
vulnerable to weather, disease, and insects. - WhenBut most importantly, you can reduce your own
lakes are seriously damaged by acid rain fish die off,consumption of electricity that is produced from coal,
birds die from eating "toxic" fish, and humans cannotdrive your gas-fueled car less often, and reduce your
swim in them - Buildings and other structures can beown acid rain footprint to make a real difference.