ACID RAIN

ACID RAIN


   When fossil fuels such as coal, gasoline, and fuel oils are burned, they emit

oxides of sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen into the air. These oxides combine with

moisture in the air to form sulfuric acid, carbonic acid, and nitric acid. When

it rains or snows, these acids are brought to Earth in what is called acid rain.

   During the course of the 20th century, the acidity of the air and acid rain

have come to be recognized as a leading threat to the stability and quality of

the Earth's environment. Most of this acidity is produced in the industrialized

nations of the Northern Hemisphere--the United States, Canada, Japan, and most

of the countries of Eastern and Western Europe.

   The effects of acid rain can be devastating to many forms of life, including

human life. Its effects can be most vividly seen, however, in lakes, rivers, and

streams and on vegetation. Acidity in water kills virtually all life forms. By

the early 1990s tens of thousands of lakes had been destroyed by acid rain. The

problem has been most severe in Norway, Sweden, and Canada.

   The threat posed by acid rain is not limited by geographic boundaries, for

prevailing winds carry the pollutants around the globe. For example, much

research supports the conclusion that pollution from coal-powered electric

generating stations in the midwestern United States is th
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