What are the effects of air pollution? Acidification: Chemical reactions involving air pollutants can create acidic compounds which can cause harm to vegetation and buildings. Sometimes, when an air pollutant, such as sulfuric acid combines with the water droplets that make up clouds, the water droplets become acidic, forming acid rain. When acid rain falls over an area, it can kill trees and harm animals, fish, and other wildlife. Acid rain destroys the leaves of plants. When acid rain infiltrates into soils, it changes the chemistry of the soil making it unfit for many living things that rely on soil as a habitat or for nutrition. Acid rain also changes the chemistry of the lakes and streams that the rainwater flows into, …show more content…
This can increase the amount of ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth, where it damages crops and plants and can lead to skin cancer and cataracts. This depletion has been caused largely by the emission of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from refrigerators, air conditioners, and aerosols. The Montreal Protocol of 1987 required that developed nations signing the accord not exceed 1986 CFC levels. Several more meetings were held from 1990 to 1997 to adopt agreements to accelerate the phasing out of ozone-depleting substances. Around the world, Practical Action is working in different ways to tackle both the causes and effects of climate change, including Working with communities to reduce their vulnerability to the disasters made worse and more numerous by climate change, and to help them adapt to the longer term challenges which a changing climate pose. Working with other organisations to share our learning of what works well and what can be done to make programmes of work with poor communities even more effective. Working with national and international bodies around the world to create and strengthen policies which reduce emissions and encourage funding and focus on adaptation to climate change. Working with schools and teachers to encourage the delivery of effective, exciting climate change lessons which engage today 's young people in the issues of climate change, creating a generation of global
It is caused by pollutants in the water, when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides combine in the atmosphere. Sulfur dioxide is formed by coal burning power plants and nitrogen oxides are made by car exhaust (1).The precipitation of acid rain occurs in the sulfur cycle, nitrogen cycle, and the carbon cycle. Acid rain can be harmful to plants, animals, can pollutes rivers and streams, and destroys statues and buildings. Acid rain can suck the nutrients out of plants, or release a toxic substance into plant roots. The problem being investigated in this experiment how much acid rain affected building materials.
The world’s climate is changing, and the effects of it will not only affect the inhabitants and the planet, but also humans. Everyone usually only pays attention to the weather on a weekly or even a monthly basis. However, humans don’t pay attention to the changes that they are causing. Very few people actually accept that they are the ones who are causing it and that they are also the ones that can help with the issue. It is time to take action on this problem that will only continue to cause horrible consequences and the only way to do that is having humans change their ways. Even starting with the smallest way can have a dramatic change if everyone is doing it.
An urgent issue, climate change is undoubtedly a sweeping global dilemma of paramount importance. Though most people are aware of this fact, many either choose to ignore it, or acknowledge it, but take no action against it. Those who do choose to take action usually attempt to combat climate change by using the methods that are most commonly discussed: becoming more energy efficient, recycling, and reducing emissions through using more sustainable transportation. Though these actions are helpful, they are not the most efficient way to counter climate change.
Climate change and the effect it has had on global warming has been a scientific subject discussed for the last 30 years; however, only recently has it became a highly debated issue in world politics and pop culture. In fact, according to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), climate change is one of only a few topics that many countries across the world have agreed upon as a potential future cataclysmic issue which must be discussed by world leaders who should also address it with their citizens. The vast majority of scientists are not only
Acid rain is caused by air pollutants in the atmosphere. These air pollutants are mainly from man made resources such as factories and automobiles. The burning of fossil fuels is also one of the biggest factors that pollutes the air and causes acid rain. The primary emissions from man made resources are sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. The rain
Acid rain affects thousands of people worldwide and is produced by factories and car fumes. It is the product of humanity and should not happen if we were careful of our carbon emissions. This phenomenon has contributed to many ruined water sources around the world. If acid rain was never a problem then places like Canada would have more forests and trees in Ontario. Also not as much coral would be dying in the ocean. Acid rain is a serious problem that needs to be addressed with caution and must be effectively dealt with before it is too
Another form of industrial waste that contributes to water pollution is acid rain. Acid rain is a product of industries burning coal. The burning of coal produces sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide, and when these chemicals combine with the earth’s atmosphere it forms acid rain The Northeastern part of the United States has the worst acid rain levels in the world. More specific, the states with the highest concentration are Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and some boarding parts of Canada and New England area. The falling acid rain can destroy plants and animals in several different ways. The acidification of a lake, river, or stream because of the high acidic levels in the water kills algae. Since algae are the main source of food, for many species of fish, they will also suffer from the high acid levels.
Everyday, people are waking up to climate change. What scientists predicted decades ago is happening now; we have little time left to preclude desolation. The governments look on the world is an hallucination. Those in power have not yet woken up,from their “dream world” to see the harsh reality we live in, and those that have are unwilling to act. In September 2014 there was the ‘‘People’s Climate March’ which was shortly followed by the ‘Time to Act on Climate Change March’ on March 7th 2015 which brought people together again on the
Climate change is a worldwide issue. Not only is firm action and leadership critical in the United States, but also international efforts need to work toward reducing emissions. Strong public demand for climate change is crucial to enact effective global warming solutions for the future. Unless immediate action is taken, climate change will continue to escalate and continue to affect the entire planet. Ways nations and individuals can help repair the earth's atmosphere is reduce air pollution, use green energy, stop deforestation. Reducing air pollution could have a dramatic effect on climate change. Humans could impact this reduction by simple things such as conserving
Acid rain is a form of precipitation that falls to the earth as rain. For rain to be acidic it has a pH level of less than 5.6. The corrosive nature of acid rain causes widespread damage to the environment. The problem begins with the production of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, natural gas, oil and other kinds of manufacturing. When these pollutants are in the air, they react with water and other chemicals, to form sulfuric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid and other pollutants. Once these pollutants are in the air, they can travel for many miles, and when rain clouds get to heavy to hold all the moisture they drop their deadly load of chemicals onto the earth in a
Our world’s climate is rapidly changing, and those changes will have an enormous impact on our planet’s people, ecosystems, cities, and energy use. Average global air temperatures are already roughly 1.5 degrees higher than they were at the start of the 20th century, and “have risen about 1 degree over just the last 30 years,” According to the New England aquarium. Climate change can best be described as the long-term change in average weather conditions, including temperature, precipitation and wind. According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC), which is comprised of the world’s largest leading scientific experts in the field of climate change, “our climate is undergoing dramatic changes as the direct result of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that act like a glass roof around the earth, trapping in the heat that would otherwise escape to space – this commonly referred to as the ‘greenhouse effect’.” Ascending worldwide temperatures have been accompanied by adjustments in weather and climate. Countless places have seen changes in rainfall, leading to more droughts, floods, and extreme rain; in addition to more critical and recurrent heat waves. Earth’s glaciers and oceans have mastered numerous changes- our seas are becoming acidic and warming, ice caps are dissolving, and sea levels are increasing. As these alterations become more prominent in the succeeding future, they will likely present challenges to our society as well as our
Climate change is an issue that affects all, and yet some do not even accept that it exists. Climate change is causing glaciers to melt, sea levels to rise, more droughts and heat waves to occur, and even more intense tropical storms. These are just a few examples of the effects of climate change, but there are even more devastating effects such as polar bears having to search for new food sources, on land, because of the sea ice they rely on for hunting melting at a more rapid pace. Climate change enthusiasts have even said, “The struggle to save the global environment is in one way much more difficult than the struggle to vanquish Hitler, for this time the war is with ourselves. We are the enemy, just as we have only ourselves as allies”(“Al”). The effects of climate change are indeed devastating, but the question I want to find an answer to is how do we lessen the effects of these effects that climate change causes? The reason I want to find a solution to my question is that I believe that the Earth is counting down towards catastrophe, and a solution must be found to save it. To find an answer to this question I explored five sources, all of which are articles.
Acid Rain, or more specifically, acid precipitation, is an environmental phenomena. It is composed of sulfuric acid and nitric acid, in addition to water, which come to be due to the interactions between the water and atmospheric pollutants, such as sulfur oxide and nitric oxide. This combination of strong acids in water is known to be detrimental to the environment, infrastructure, and the health of people. Due to the water cycle, other water bodies, such as lakes and streams, are affected by the excess acid in rain in that their aquatic populations decrease. Acid Rain also leaches aluminum, as well as minerals and nutrients, from soils, harming vegetation. As for infrastructure, the acids in acid precipitation are known to erode metal and stone. Though acid rain itself does not damage people’s well-being, the sulfur oxide and nitric oxide in the air can react with other atmospheric compounds to produce fine, inhalable sulfate and nitrate particles, which are linked to heart attacks and damaging effects on lung function for those more prone.
In describing acid precipitation pollutant chosen it is more commonly known as acid rain representing a form of secondary pollution (EB,2013). Nitrogen and sulfur oxides are released into the atmosphere reacting to water and other components forming acids (EB, 2013). Acid rain refers to two different processes that enable the acid suspended in the atmosphere to deposit on the Earth’s surface water dries (EB, 2013). Wet acid decomposition fades to the Earth’s surface when it rains snows or fogs (EB, 2013). The dry acid deposition occurs when the acid particles drop to the Earth’s surface as gas or a particulate form (EB, 2013). Acid decompositions and precipitation aren’t constrained by international boundaries (EB, 2013). Many nations use fossil fuel do not have the legislation in place of air pollution limiting meaning that can contributes to the acid deposition and precipitation both locally and in other countries (EB, 2013). The Nations that haven’t’ taken any. Consideration of limiting air pollution resulting acid deposition that will affect the global environment (EB, 2013). Once the acid compounds are released they are deposited into the soil and bodies of water increasing the acidity resources (EB,2013). Acid water is not potable for humans (EB, 2013). Acid precipitation is both point and non-point pollution. The point pollutions of is from factories and the non-point the acid rain makes water more acidic and release aluminum can be toxic to fish (Acosta,
Acid rain is caused by when sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are put into the atmosphere and then transported by wind and air currents. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water, oxygen and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. These chemicals then mix with water and other materials before falling into the ground. A small portion of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides can cause acid rain from natural sources like volcanoes, but most of it comes from the burning of fossil fuel (Feely, et al., 2010). Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are two of the major sources associated towards acid rain. Atmospheric deposition of the sulfur and nitrogen molecules is derived from coal-fired