ACID R

AIN

BY :

J AC

KY

AN

D C

L AI R

E

DEFINITION

Acid Rain : Rainfall made sufficiently acidic by

atmospheric

pollution that it causes environmental harm,

typically to forests and lakes.

ROLE OF CONSUMERS

~ Consumers play a role in acid rain bybuying products which contribute to emissions of harmful gasses. ~Some products come from factories that sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are emitted from tall smoke stakes which allows the emissions to travel far.

~The biggest contribution to acid rain is large factories that give off these oxides. Another thing that gives off these oxides are vehicles.

~The burning of coal, gas, and oil produces these emissions.~**The burning of oil produces these emissions it is possible that the production of these products also emit these chemicals.

ROLE OF GOVERNMENT

~First government attempt to reduce SO2 took place in London, England in 1963 at the Battersea Plant

~1985 Eastern Canada Acid Rain Program

~1979 United Nations Economic Commission

~UNECE (United Nations Economic Commissions for Europe) LRTAP (Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution) – has 51 parties which aim to limit, gradually reduce, and if possible prevent air pollution.

~1985 Protocol on the Reduction of Sulphur Emissions– 21 parties to reduce emissions by 30%

ROLE OF MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS

~ Multinational Corporations sell many things which have been made in places that give off SO2 and NOx emissions.

~The large demand of these products to corporations allows for large amounts of emissions.

~There is a continuous cycle which goes like this:

Demand For

Products

Emissions/ Pollution

Chemicals Combine In

The SkyAcid Rain

Corporations

ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

~ Waste products, especially the ones that end up as gasses, can be transferred to other cities and countries.

~ Communities that produce more SO2 and NOx with their factories are not actually polluting their air as much as others! The emissions from their plants blows over to other places! :(~ Sulphur dioxide can stay airborne from 3-4 days meaning it travels for a longer time, therefore can travel for hundreds or thousands of miles while Nitrate oxides can only stay airborne for about half a day so they don’t travel as far.

BALANCE

~ To balance economy and the environment, someone would have to find out how much SO2 and NOx can be emitted into the atmosphere before it becomes too hazardous to humans, plants, animals, and water.

~Keeping track of our emissions will enable us to slowly diminish the harsh greenhouse gases that are causing acid rain to form.

SOLUTIONS

~paying attention to the things we buy and how eco-friendly they are

~Reduce the products we use that give off these emissions while being made

~ By doing this we will be reducing/ preventing further acid rain accumulation.