Tomislav Acid Rain

Aid rain is rainfall made acidic by atmospheric gases and pollution to the point where it causes environmental harm. Acid rain is created when fossil fuels, such as coal are burned. Natural fossils contain sulfur compounds. When fossil fuels are burned, they release sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. This gas then dissolves in water droplets in clouds. This causes the rain to have a higher pH level than normal.

Figure 1: Effect of acid rain on trees

Why is it bad for us? Acid rain is an important issue, since it affects our ecosystem greatly. Acidic rain destroys leaves, buildings and monuments, soil, aquatic life and many more. The effect of acidic rain can be seen on Taj Mahal. Over years, the reaction between marble and acidic rain caused the structure to change color. A structure that used to be perfectly white now shines a dark orange color.

Figure 2: Taj Mahal

The intensity of acid rain varies countries. Countries with higher population density will often have more acidic rain than the countries with lower population. This can be seen as India and China have the highest intensity of acid rain.

Figure 3: Countries most affected by acid rain 

How can we help solve this issue? Scientists say that by reducing the burning of fossil fuels, we can make a difference. As seen on the news recently Volkswagen, a popular car company was found to be emitting 40 times more nitrogen oxide than allowed. However acid rain doesn't just affect buildings and nature around us. In nature, everything is connected. For example, in a heavily acidic area such as china, a cow eats grass after it has rained. The acid then affects the quality of meat on that cow, thus harming our health. This can concept can be seen throughout many different areas in nature. Another example of that would be the fish population. Fish that swim in acidic heavy waters often die, and in some cases the ones that do survive can end up on the market. It can cause rashes on our skin, and in extreme cases it can melt spots in skin.We can all contribute to resolving this issue. 60% of all nitrogen oxide comes from transportation. By taking public transportation we can reduce that number. As technology advances, electric cars are becoming more affordable. In 2014, over 740,000 electric cars have been sold worldwide.

Figure 4: Nissan's electric car

In conclusion, the acid rain issue is becoming more and more severe. It is the nature telling us that something is wrong. It is affecting everything around us, including us. As humans, we should not take earth for granted. We can all make a difference by doing small things.



Sources:

http://thenortheasttoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/taj-mahal-web.gif

http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/001/cache/dead-spruce_133_600x450.jpg

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/what-are-air-pollution-smog-and-acid-rain.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/znsk7ty/revision

http://www.chem1.com/acad/webtext/acid2/acid2-images/AR-worldwide.gif