NASC 1001 week 8 Assignment Essay
Acid Rain
Acid Rain includes rain, snow, hail, fog, or dew that is high in acid pollutants, especially sulphuric and nitric acid. Acid Rain is mainly caused by emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide from various sources. They react with the water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids. The problem of Acid Rain has not only increased with rapid growth in population and industrialization, but it has also become more harmful. In fact, the use of the tall chimneys on a factory, ship, has contributed to the spread of Acid Rain by releasing gases into the atmosphere. A large number of acid deposits are witnessed in Canada, the United States, Europe, portions of Sweden, Norway, and Germany. Some amount of acid deposits are found in parts of South Asia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Southern parts of India like Bangalore, New Delhi, Mumbai.NASC 1001 week 8 Assignment Essay
Types of Acid Rain
There are two types of depositions in which acid rain occurs. They can be discussed as follows:
- Wet deposition: When the acid falls on the ground in the form of rain, snow, fog or mist, it removes acid from the atmosphere and settles them on the Earth’s surface. When this acid flows through the ground, it affects a large number of plants, animals and aquatic life. The water from drain flows into the water sources like rivers and canals which is then mixed up into seawater; thereby affecting the aquatic habitats.
- Dry deposition: When the acidic pollutants merge into dust or smoke and fall to the ground as dry particles, these stick to the ground and other surfaces such as buildings, cars, houses, trees, and monuments. Majority of the acidic pollutants in the atmosphere spread through dry deposition.NASC 1001 week 8 Assignment Essay
Causes of Acid Rain
The major causes of acid rain are Natural and Human-Instigated causes. However, Acid Rain is basically caused due to the combustion of fossil fuels which results in emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NO2) in the atmosphere.
Natural Sources: The main nature causing agents for acid rain are volcanic eruptions. Volcanoes emit a large amount of lava, producing harmful gases which create a higher than normal amount of Acid Rain. Decaying vegetation, wildfires and other biological processes within the environment also generate the Acid Rain forming gases. Lighting strikes also produce nitric oxides that react with water molecules via electrical activity to produce nitric acid, thereby forming acid rain.
Human-Instigated Sources: Human activities leading to the emissions of chemical gas include sulphur and nitrogen gases from the factories, power generating premises and automobiles. Mainly, the use of coal for electrical power generation is the biggest contributor to gaseous emissions. These also lead to acid rain. These gases react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form various acidic compounds such as sulphuric acid, nitric acid, etc. As a result, those areas experience exceedingly high amounts of acid rain.
Harmful effects of acid rain
Acid Rain adversely affects the environment includes marine biodiversity, soil, architecture & infrastructure, forests, and forest wildlife, public health. For example, Taj Mahal is turning yellow mainly due to air pollution, discoloration of marble due to oxidation of its constituents is one of the harmful effects of acid rain.
Methods to Avoid Acid Rain
Acid Rain caused due to the natural reasons cannot be stopped. But there are ways following which we can avoid the same, caused due to man-made reasons. The ways by which acid rain can be avoided are by the use of limestone by which people can repair the damages caused by acid rain to lakes, rivers, brooks, and other water sources. By adding lime into acidic surface also we can avoid acid rain as water balances the acidity.NASC 1001 week 8 Assignment Essay
Use of hybrid vehicles with negligible NO2 emissions is also a way out. Besides fossil fuels, there is a wide range of substitute energy sources that can generate electrical power these include wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, nuclear power, and hydro energy. Using these energy sources can offer effective electrical power alternatives. Instead of using fossil fuels, use of natural gas, fuel cells and batteries can also substitute use of fossil fuels.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many attempts to clean our air. Due to increase in population and rapid industrialization, we need to make efforts on a war footing to reduce the phenomenon of Acid Rain. The whole world needs to take a call to avoid inflicting colossal damage to the environment.
Acid rain is a widespread problem found all over the world. It is the result of chemicals from burned fossil fuel mixing with moisture in the atmosphere and falling to the ground as rain, snow, sleet, etc. Acid deposition is a more precise name than acid rain because acid can fall to the ground as rain, snow, sleet, hail, and anything else. It can also combine with dry particles and fall to the ground; therefore it is called dry deposition whereas acid coming down in rain is called wet deposition.
People have known about air pollution since the philosopher Seneca remarked on Rome’s polluted skies in AD 61. Even though people were aware of the problem they ignored they it. Up until the last century people have ignored the problem of air pollution including air pollution’s most dangerous problem, acid rain. Acid rain is devastating to the ecosystem and is one of the most pressing environmental issues today.
Acid rain forms in the atmosphere from chemicals created by the burning of fossil fuels. When coal and oil are burned they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and two nitric oxides, nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) designated by the symbol NOX. These dangerous chemicals come from the smoke that pours from factory chimneys and exhaust from car tail pipes. Once released, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with other chemicals in the air, water vapor, and sunlight to produce sulfuric and nitric acids, the acids in acid rain. The more sulfuric and nitric acids present, the higher the acidity of the rain. On a 14 point scale, 7 being neutral, anything less than 7 is considered acidic and anything more is considered alkaline. Battery acid is about 1 acidity and lemon juice is around 2 acidity. Regular rain is between 5 and 6 acidity. Acid rain is somewhere between 2 and 5.5. The worst case of acid rain ever recorded was in Wheeling, West Virginia where the rain had an acidity of 2.2. These levels of acidity seriously harm plants, trees, and all other life.
All over the world, acid levels are rising which endangers trees, lakes, streams, drinking water supplies, monuments, and animal life. Basically everything is effected by acid rain. Not only life is effected, but also buildings (such as national monuments), roads, even metals on cars and bridges. NASC 1001 week 8 Assignment Essay
When acid rain occurs, it doesn’t immediately effect acidity in lakes and streams. The water dilutes the acid so only over a long period of time can the water become too acidic. In the spring, something called acid shock can happen. Snow, that contains acid, can build up and when it melts all the acid runs into the streams and lakes at one time. When acid levels are too high it can kill small organisms like algae. When the algae dies other bigger organisms that eat algae die from starvation. It is a big chain reaction until all life is gone. Some lakes, i.e. the lakes in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State have been stripped of all life because the acid levels are too high. Acidic water that seeps into soil can also kill trees that are nearby.
Buildings are taking a toll from acid rain. The acid corrodes the stones and cement. Some buildings have been permanently weakened beyond repair. There are definitely many effects from acid rain, but the question is, how do we fix them?
Now that acid rain is widely acknowledged throughout the world, more and more people are doing something about it. For example: In November 1990, President George Bush signed the Clean Air Act, which had an annual cost of up to $25 billion. It cut sulfur dioxide emissions by 10 million tons a year. It also cut nitrogen oxides by 2 million tons a year. Europe agreed to cut sulfur dioxide emissions by 30% of 1980 levels, and a freeze (not increasing) on nitrogen oxide emissions at 1987 levels.
Now all factories are required to be outfitted with scrubbers, which cost $150 million each. They are very expensive to maintain, but they remove 95% of sulfur dioxide after coal is burned. In scrubbers, poisonous gases are sprayed with a mix of water and lime. Together the sulfur, water, and lime form a gray, gooey substance called sludge.
Another solution to lake acidity is liming. Lime is very alkaline, so when poured into lakes it cancels out the acidity. The problem with liming is that it is very expensive and only temporarily reduces acidity.
Another solution is something called a catalytic converter, which is required on all cars. The converter is mounted on the exhaust pipe forcing all exhaust to pass through it. This converts nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxides, and unburden hydrocarbons into a cleaner state.
As you can see, there are many attempts to clean our air, but the atmosphere is still a long way from being clean. If attempts to clean our air continue, our rain may return to normal and acidic lakes, over a period of time, would return to normal. But if our attempts to clean up our own mess fail, we may cause ourselves to kill all our natural resources, which would lead to the extinction of all life on this planet, even humans.
Emissions from sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NO) are the main causes of acid rain; both of these are a result of electric power generation and fossil fuel combustion. Burning coal, driving vehicles, CFCs, HAPs, carbon monoxide and many more chemicals cause acid rain when released into the air. Acid rain is formed when these chemicals released into the atmosphere react with water, oxygen and other chemicals to form acidic compounds, resulting in a solution of sulfuric and nitric acid.NASC 1001 week 8 Assignment Essay
The damage caused by acid rain is immeasurable on our society and planet. Acid rain affects aquatic life, land life and even affects the quality of non-living objects. Aquatic life is affected to the greatest extent, because aquatic life does not have an escape from the acidic rain. Once a body of water reaches a specific pH most of the organisms will no longer be able to survive and the entire ecosystem will be corrupted. The acidity of a body of water depends on the size, location and buffer capacity.
A land environment is also affected significantly by acid rain. Trees and other vegetation are damaged and weakened by acid rain; a loss of essential nutrients is the main reason for the damage. High altitude and mountain regions are exposed to higher amounts of acid than any other environment because acidic clouds and fog (that is more acidic than the actual acid rainfall) normally surround them. Weakened, aged and very young organisms and vegetation are more susceptible to damage from acid rain than their healthy counterparts for obvious reasons.
Acid rain does not occur to the same extent all over the world. The occurrence of acid rain is directly related to the amount of pollutants being released in many cases. Many regions of the U. S, the southeast region of Canada, Central Europe, parts of Asia and Scandinavia are main areas affected by acid rain. The main reason being that in many of these places there is a high number of factories, power plants and automobiles. But in some cases, such as Scandinavia the reason is that acid rain is mobile and can travel far distances without being released.
Acid rain occurs when polluted gasses are trapped in clouds, and these clouds may drift for hundreds or thousands of miles before releasing the precipitation. In most cases the regions with the highest amount of pollution suffer the highest amount of acid rain, but depending on the jet streams and weather fronts, the clouds with the acid rain in them can travel long distances to various locations. The technology to prevent and diminish acid rain does exist, but in many cases it is very expensive and can sometimes lower the efficiency of a factory or plant.
A new technology in the U. S is Flue gas desulfurization (FGD), this is used in many coal-burning power plants and it removes sulfur-containing gases from stack gases. A process similar to this FGD is used in automobiles as well and is called a catalytic converter. A catalytic converter has been required in the U. S for over 20 years and these devices reduced NOx emissions from cars. With both these technologies it is important to maintain them and keep them working properly. With modern day technology there are many other sources of energy besides fossil fuels.
Hydro power, nuclear power, wind energy, solar energy and geothermal energy are some examples of these with nuclear and hydro power being used the most in the U. S. These other forms are efficient but have not been made economically affordable alternatives to fossil fuels. Modern technology has invented alternate energy sources for vehicles as well, including natural gas, batteries and fuel cells. All sources of energy have environmental benefits as well as environmental costs. Many of these energies are more efficient but more expensive to produce, which decides who is able to afford them.NASC 1001 week 8 Assignment Essay
But I am sure that as time goes on these alternative sources of energy are becoming more and more cost effective. Acid rain majorly affects any environment and it is sometimes impossible to restore the environment back to the condition it was before the introduction of acid rain. Limestone is one way to shorten the healing process for acidic lakes, but while used extensively in Norway and Sweden it is a very expensive and tedious process and only considered a short-term remedy, but does allow the environment to return to health much quicker.
There is no cure-all for the damages caused by acid rain. Time and a restoration of a healthy environment with a normal pH level is the only solution known to modern day technology at this time. Because of the harmful affects of acid rain, the distance it can travel and how pricey it is to try and reverse, it has become the reason for more than a few lawsuits. The basis for many of these lawsuits is that a factory in location A is causing a major (harmful) effect on the environment in location B.
Acid rain occurs in clouds and these clouds may travel hundreds of miles; this is what the lawsuits are based on. The result of these lawsuits is that the factories at fault are being forced to become more effective and put more money into lowering the amount of pollutants. As more and more lawsuits are winning in favor of improving the environment it is becoming clear that the nation and the world is realizing what a harmful effect acid rain has. In 2007 renewable energy sources supplied about 7% of the world’s energy consumption.
A quote by a reporter in “Zogby International” states. “The House of Representatives recently passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which would require electric power companies to generate 20 percent of their power from clean, renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, by the year 2020. Also included is a global warming plan which would reduce greenhouse gases from sources like power plants and factories by 17 percent, and an energy efficiency plan which includes new appliance standards and building codes to conserve energy. As this quote states, by the year 2020, 20% of the power generated by electric power companies would have to come from clean, renewable energy sources. This policy will increase the use of renewable energy sources by almost 13%, which is plausible, but large amounts of resources; economic and natural will be needed in order to make this a reality. If this policy becomes a reality there is going to be a shift in jobs and government to the natural resource sector.
If the government can do their job well they should be attempting to change societies image of energy sources from non-renewable energy sources to renewable energy sources. As acid rain becomes more and more of a problem, power companies are starting to offer rewards for more efficient technology. For example, National Grid is now offering a Green Up renewable energy program. To enroll in this program you must purchase a product from one of the renewable energy companies, but this in turn gives you all or a part of your electricity generated from renewable sources.
This program supports the development and generation of renewable energy, lets you take responsibility for your environment and helps offset the environmental impact of the production of electricity from non-renewable resources. I think that these programs will help a lot. These programs are raising consumer awareness and helping consumers afford and have access to using renewable energy sources in their day-to-day life. The government has responded to the issue of acid rain in many ways. The Environmental Protection Agency has had a large role in the enforcement of laws.NASC 1001 week 8 Assignment Essay
The Clean Air Act defines the EPA’s responsibilities for protecting and improving the nation’s air quality. The government plays a role in addressing the problem of acid rain, but this role wasn’t used as much as it should have been until recently. I think that the government should have a large role in dealing with the problem of acid rain. The government is organized enough to be able to make a huge difference in the amount of acid rain in modern day. The problem of preventing acid rain would be best dealt with at a global level though, in my opinion.
I think this because acid rain is a global problem and it is just going to keep getting worse. Everyone should pay for cleanup and prevention efforts for acid rain. Factories and other plants would have contributed greatly to the effects of acid rain should have to pay a much more substantial amount than an individual. But it is a worldwide problem so if everyone chips in it would be solved much easier. Individuals can do a lot to help with the problem of acid rain, even just by turning off lights and buying efficient cars, every little bit helps. NASC 1001 week 8 Assignment Essay