Environmental Issues

The issue of acid rain has over time been a subject that has generated intense debate among scientists since its invention in 1852. It has been a controversial topic between countries who accuse each other of being the source of pollution. This is because the problem of acid rain cannot be contained within the region where it was caused. For instance, Norway and Sweden are known to receive over 90 of their pollution from abroad. Similarly, the amount of acid rain received in Canada is caused by the level of industrialization that prevails in the United States. Almost, everybody is aware of acid rain but very few knows exactly what acid rain is, what causes it, what are the effects and impacts and how best  we can cope with the growing problem of acid rain (Munton, 88). This paper will basically focus on the four aspects as we look on how best we can address this global affair.

The term acid rain is used to describe acid deposition or any form of precipitation with unusual levels of both nitric acid and sulfuric acid. Acid rain is also known to occur in form of snow or fog that eventually finds its way to the earth surface. Rain water is known to have a Ph value of 7. However, when it travels through air, it dissolve chemicals and washes down particles and other components that could be present in air. Some of the components present in the atmosphere are the sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides which react with water to form both sulphuric acid and nitric acid. The acids then come down in the form of acid rain with a Ph value of around 2.3 which can have far reaching effects on the ecosystem. The prevalence of acid rain varies from region to region depending with the pollution levels. For instance, in the industrialized countries like China, Soviet Union and U.S.A acid rain levels are normally high. Also, acid rain is also prevalent in third world countries which lack clear guidelines regarding pollution.

Another area that has generated intense debate and disagreement is about the real causes of acid rain. Scientists have tried to unravel this by identifying that the real causes of acid rain are both natural and artificial. However, scientists have shown that the causes are more artificial since manmade activities account for 95 of the toxic gases in the atmosphere. Industries are the source of gaseous emissions which increase the levels of both nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide (Environmental Protection Agency, 2002).

Burning of coal is a contributor of the acid rain. Coal is known to have over 2 sulphur which when burnt is released to the atmosphere. So far, the use of coal as a source of fuel in industries is known to account for over 70 of the sulphur dioxide emissions. Some industries also rely on process of raw ore which is composed of sulphides. Once the raw ore is burnt in presence of oxygen, sulphur dioxide is released it the atmosphere which later react with normal rain to form acid rain.

Automobiles account for the increased prevalence of acid rain. They are known to account for 50 of the nitrogen dioxide emissions. The use of fossil fuels in power plants also account for the increasing levels of nitrogen dioxide. Though minimal, acid rain is also known to arise to natural factors. Wild fires which are prevalent in Australia, volcanic eruptions and the natural decomposition of bacteria contribute to the increase in the levels of nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere which further combine with rain water to for acid rain.

Effects
Acid rain is known to have far reaching effects on aquatic life, soil, forests, wetlands, buildings and on human beings. To the forests, acid rain has resulted to the slowed growth of trees. Foresters have observed that instead of trees growing green healthy, their leaves and needles are actually turning brown. Researchers have associated this with soil degradation which is a direct consequence of the acid rain. This has been the case in Eastern U.S within the high elevation forests of the Appalachian Mountains.

Scientists have shown that acid rain have lasting effects on the forest floors. In that, once the acid rain comes down and some runs to streams and lakes while some is absorbed by the soil. Some of the acidity may be neutralized by the soil depending with the buffering capacity of the soil which is influenced by the thickness and composition of the soil. This provides an explanation as to why some area may experience adverse effects of acid rain than others. Acid rain is known to limit the amount of nutrients that can be absorbed by plants. This exposes the plants to a number of toxins that are normally released by the soil (Alm, 145). The trees become weak and eventually die. It has also been established that, acid rain kills the useful micro organisms and damages the waxy layer of plants thus predisposing them to diseases.

Acid rain has far reaching effects on buildings because it has a corrosive effect on limestone. Either wet or dry deposition of sulphur increases the corrosion rate in limestone and sandstone. Limestone combines with sulphuric acid which results from a combination of sulphur trioxide with water. Once the limestone reacts with the sulphuric acid, it forms calcium sulphate which is normally soluble in water. Once the calcium sulphate dissolves in water, the building may come crumbling down.

Acid rain also results to discoloration of buildings. For instance, structures like the Acropolis in Greece and the Renaissance buildings in Italy have experienced visible damage. The transport system have also experience the harmful effects of the acid rain. This is evident in Poland, where trains have to move at slow speed since the tracks have been damaged by corrosion. The effects of acid rain also extend to the aquatic life. It has resulted to leaching of harmful nutrients like mercury and aluminium from the soil and the rocks which eventually find their way to the lakes. Water is known to have its own way of dealing with acidity levels but there are times when the acidity levels are to the extreme and they are unbearable (Environmental protection Agency, 2002). This is the time when the Ph level of waterfall below 7 thus turning acidic. This results to the death of the living organisms in water.

The effects of acid rain on aquatic life extend to human beings since consumption of fish poisoned with mercury is normally harmful to humans. Acid rain does affect the economic livelihood of human beings. In that, once the aquatic life is wiped out it will directly affect the lives of those who wholly depend on it. The amount of pollution in the atmosphere is also known to be the source of the modern day health problems. For instance, the increase in the number of asthmatic patients is a direct consequence of the amount of pollution arising from industrialization levels. To the animals, the effects of the acid rain are normally felt through the food chain. Consequently, since the living organisms depend on each other for food (Alm, 149). The death of one will directly affect the live of the other.

Solutions
Since acid rain is a global affair, different jurisdictions have to unite and come up with viable solutions to the same. First, the world should unite in strengthening the capacity of the environmental groups who are out to reduce if not to eliminate the effects of acid rain. Such programs like the Acid rain program should be strengthened and this will reduce the amount of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides present in the atmosphere.

To come up with solution we also need to identify the source of the pollutants. It is well known that industries and automobiles are the main source of pollution (Munton, 91). To curb this, governments should formulate strict guidelines about pollution where the polluter will be supposed to pay.

Since most of our water bodies have turned acidic it is advisable that governments should consider adding quicklime which would make aquatic life habitable. This procedure has so far proved to be economically unfeasible since the water bodies are too large and the best way to do this is by targeting the source of the pollution. This is so far yielding fruits since some industries are now using scrubbers which limit the amount of sulphur dioxide released into the atmosphere (Environmental protection Agency, 2002). Automobile owners are also heeding to this call since they are fitting their vehicles with catalytic converters which renders the toxic gases harmless.

The general public has a role to play in this. In that, they can cut down on the power consumption and use alternative sources of energy like the solar power and the wind energy. This will considerably reduce the amount of coal used to produce electricity which will further translate to a reduction in the pollution levels. At this point, it is worth concluding that acid rain is a global phenomenon which is not localized within where it was caused. Since it is affecting everyone of us either directly or indirectly, individual responsibility and the use of alternative source solar energy would go a long way I  reversing this life threatening trend of acid rain.