- Appliances Are The First Step. Your appliances are a great place to start for those of you wanting to learn how to reduce acid rain.
- Lighting Plays An Important Role. If you’re serious about learning how to reduce acid rain, you have to remember that lighting plays a crucial role.
- Swap Out Your Gas Appliances. For those of you who maintain your own yard, you likely own a variety of tools. ...
- Insulate Your Home. Image Source: Ecocloudinsulation.com Proper insulation is key to reducing your overall energy consumption.
- The Impact of Motor Vehicle Use. The largest contributor of acid rain is likely sitting in your driveway. ...
How can you prevent acid rain from ruining the Earth?
You can do the following to protect the environment from acid rain: Turn off lights, computers, and other appliances when you're not using them. Use energy efficient appliances: lighting, air conditioners, heaters, refrigerators, washing machines, etc. Only use electric appliances when you need them.
What can the government do to stop acid rain?
The Acid Rain Program (ARP), established under Title IV of the 1990 Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments requires major emission reductions of sulfur dioxide (SO 2) and nitrogen oxides (NO x ), the primary precursors of acid rain, from the power sector. The SO 2 program sets a permanent cap on the total amount of SO 2 that may be emitted by electric ...
What is the government doing to stop acid rain?
The U.S. Congress in 1990 created a federal Acid Rain Program to reduce the adverse effects of acid rain through annual emission reductions from power plants that burn fossil fuels. Massachusetts also has established emission limits on power plants and works closely with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address acid rain.
What are people doing to stop acid rain?
Switching to alternative energy sources is one of the best ways to reduce acid rain. Instead of using fossil fuels, we can use wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, hydropower and nuclear power. Nuclear and hydropower are very expensive to produce.
What happens when you burn fossil fuels?
When fossil fuels are burned, it releases sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide into the atmosphere.
How does sulfur dioxide react with air?
Sulfur remains in a state of impurity in coal and forms sulfur dioxide when it reacts with air by burning coal. On the other hand, nitric oxide is formed when we burn fossil fuels.
How does acid deposition affect the ecosystem?
Acid deposition infiltrates intensely into the fabric of an ecosystem. It changes the chemistry of the soil. Even if the emissions are reduced, and pH level is restored to normal, it would take many years for the ecosystem to recover from its deposition.
How can we reduce acid rain?
Using Alternative Energy Sources. Switching to alternative energy sources is one of the best ways to reduce acid rain. Instead of using fossil fuels, we can use wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, hydropower and nuclear power. Nuclear and hydropower are very expensive to produce.
How long does it take for acidic soil to heal?
Acidified streams, lakes, forests, and soils might take years to even decades to heal. However, there are still things to do for bringing back streams and lakes quickly.
How to prevent acid rain from personal capability?
The most effective way to prevent acid rain from personal capability is to decrease your energy consumption.
Why is the Earth's climate in danger?
Earth’s climate is in danger due to a lot of man-made action. Acid rain is one of those, and it is becoming an alarming issue for our environment.
What is the shrimp called in Desjardins?
Smiling but sleepy, she spent much of the night working in nearly pitch-dark conditions, surveying for tiny monster-like creatures: freshwater opossum shrimp called Mysis relicta. Desjardins is part of a team attempting to close the loop on an acid rain experiment that began in the 1970s.
What would scientists do to protect the lake?
Scientists would protectively suit up like Darth Vader, make a sulphuric acid solution and use the boat propeller to mix the cocktail across the whole lake.
What type of shrimp is acidified?
The freshwater shrimp Mysis relicta suffers in lakes that have been acidified (Credit: Andrew Milling)
How long did it take to get rid of acid rain?
From its discovery in 1963 to passage of the Clean Air Act in 1990, legislative action on acid rain took 27 years. Over that time, many a cross-border argument erupted. “The first international altercation over acid rain was the US accusing Canada of acidifying lakes in the boundary waters,” says Schindler.
Why did trout stop reproducing?
Lake trout stopped reproducing not because they were toxified by the acid, but because they were starving to death - David Schindler. Freshwater microbiologist Carol Kelly arrived at ELA in 1978 just as acid rain experiments got underway.
How did Hurley help the fight against acid rain?
In the fight Hurley helped to lead against acid rain, this meant talking to coal workers at sportsmen’s shows, engaging them in conversations about clean water for fishing salmon, and going for walks in war cemeteries where acidity was ruining the limestone of gravestones.
Why did the recovery of lakes happen?
Broader recovery, in lakes across North America, happened because acid rain was tackled at its source.
How to avoid acid rain?
Try to limit the use of air conditioning. Ask your parents to adjust the thermostat (the device used to control the temperature in your home) when you go on vacation. Minimize the Miles. Driving cars and trucks also produces large amounts of nitrogen oxides, which cause acid rain.
Can government agencies stop acid rain?
Government agencies and scientists are not the only ones that can take action to stop acid rain. You can become part of the solution, too!
What is an applicability determination?
An applicability determination is a formal EPA response to questions about how regulations apply to a particular situation. Below are EPA's responses to written requests for applicability determinations under 40 CFR 72.6. They illustrate the facts EPA considers when deciding how Acid Rain Program regulations (codified at 40 CFR 72.6) apply. The references after each description highlight the key provisions applied in each response. Each determination is based on application of 40 CFR 72.6 to the specific facts in each case and may not apply to other cases.
What is the ARP program?
The Acid Rain Program (ARP), established under Title IV of the 1990 Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments requires major emission reductions of sulfur dioxide (SO 2) and nitrogen oxides (NO x ), the primary precursors of acid rain, from the power sector. The SO 2 program sets a permanent cap on the total amount of SO 2 that may be emitted by electric ...
How do sources reduce emissions?
Sources may choose among several options to reduce emissions. Sources may sell or bank (save) excess allowances if they reduce emissions and have more than they need, or purchase allowances if they are unable to keep emissions below their allocated level. At the end of the year, each source must hold sufficient allowances to cover its SO 2 emissions (each allowance represents one ton of emissions).
How effective is market based emission reduction?
Reducing emissions using a market-based system provides regulated sources with the flexibility to select the most cost-effective approach to reduce emissions, and has proven to be a highly effective way to achieve emission reductions, meet environmental goals, and improve human health.
How many units are affected by the Clean Air Act?
Title IV of the Clean Air Act set a goal of reducing annual SO 2 emissions by 10 million tons below 1980 levels by means of a two-phase cap and trade program for fossil fuel-fired power plants: Affected 263 units at 110 mostly coal-burning electric utility plants located in 21 eastern and midwestern states.
When did phase 1 start?
Phase I ran from 1996 to 1999 and covered Group 1 Boilers.
What can I do to prevent acid rain?
Fortunately, there are many ways you can prevent acid rain. Today, your options go far beyond turning lights off in vacant rooms or recycling (which are great to do anyway).
What are some examples of disruptions that acid rain can do in ecosystems?
Here are some examples of the disruptions that acid rain can do in ecosystems: Fish, amphibian, and insect reproductive problems. Dead or dying trees from acidic soil and leaf absorption. Bird habitat destruction. Coral reef bleaching. Marine exoskeleton softening (base of ocean food webs)
What is the main source of acid rain?
The main source of acid rain is human-caused burning of fossil fuels. Sulfur is a contaminant, principally of coal, oil, and diesel fuel, that is released when they’re burned in power plants, homes, some cars, or construction vehicles. Once in air, sulfur combines with oxygen to form sulfur dioxide.
How far can acidic pollutants travel?
First, although many of these acidic pollutants are formed in cities, they are airbound and can travel hundreds of miles. Far from their sources, they may wreak environmental havoc on water bodies, forests, and marine life.
What is acid rain?
The term acid rain refers to the abnormally low pH (making it acidic) of all atmospheric precipitation forms including snow, sleet, hail, and fog.
What is the reaction of gasoline and water vapor in the air?
These later react with water vapor in air to form nitric acid.
How do volcanoes produce acid?
These chemicals are formed via reactions with oxygen and water in the air through multi-step processes. The resulting compounds are sulfuric, nitric, and carbonic acids.
Overview
- The Acid Rain Program (ARP), established underTitle IV -Acid Deposition Control (pdf) (156.26 KB) requires major emission reductions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), the primary precursors of acid rain, from the power sector. The SO2 program sets a permanent cap on the total amount of SO2 that may be emitted by electric generating...
SO2 Reductions
- Title IV of the Clean Air Act set a goal of reducing annual SO2emissions by 10 million tons below 1980 levels by means of a two-phase cap and trade program for fossil fuel-fired power plants: 1. Phase I (began in 1995) Affected 263 units at 110 mostly coal-burning electric utility plants located in 21 eastern and midwestern states. An additional 182 units joined Phase I of the progr…
Nox Reductions
- The Acid Rain Program called for a two million ton reduction in NOx emissions below 1980 levels by 2000. A significant portion of these reductions have been achieved by coal-fired utility boilers that have installed low-NOxburner technologies. As with the SO2 emission reduction requirements, the NOxprogram was implemented in two phases, beginning in 1996 and 2000: 1. …
Applicability Determinations
- An applicability determination is a formal EPA response to questions about how regulations apply to a particular situation. Below are EPA's responses to written requests for applicability determinations under 40 CFR 72.6. They illustrate the facts EPA considers when deciding how Acid Rain Program regulations (codified at 40 CFR 72.6) apply. The references after each descri…
Acid Rain Program Regulations
- Read the Acid Rain Program regulations, which are contained in 40 CFR Parts 72 through 78. 1. Table of Contents 40 CFR Parts 72 – 78 2. 40 CFR Part 72: Permits 3. 40 CFR Part 73: Allowance System 4. 40 CFR Part 74: Opt-In 5. 40 CFR Part 75: Continuous Emissions Monitoring 6. 40 CFR Part 76: NOx 7. 40 CFR Part 77: Excess Emissions 8. 40 CFR Part 78: Appeal Procedures Next, le…