Germany

ACID RAIN

Acid Rain What is acid rain? Clouds or rain containing sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides that cause problems in the environment.

Acid Rain in Germany Acid Rain Harms Forests 1.Acid rain can be extremely harmful to forests. Acid rain that seeps into the ground can dissolve nutrients, such as magnesium and calcium, that trees need to be healthy. 2. Acid rain also causes aluminum to be released into the soil, which makes it difficult for trees to take up water. 3. Trees that are located in mountainous regions at higher elevations, such as spruce or fir trees, are at greater risk because they are exposed to acidic clouds and fog, which contain greater amounts of acid than rain or snow. The acidic clouds and fog strip important nutrients from their leaves and needles. This loss of nutrients makes it easier for infections, insects, and cold weather to damage trees and forests. Acid Rain Damages Lakes and Streams 1.Without pollution or acid rain, most lakes and streams would have a pH level near 6.5. Acid rain, however, has caused many lakes and streams in the northeast United States and certain other places to have much lower pH levels. 2.In addition, aluminum that is released into the soil eventually ends up in lakes and streams. Unfortunately, this increase in acidity and aluminum levels can be deadly to aquatic wildlife, including phytoplankton, mayflies, rainbow trout, small mouth bass, frogs, spotted salamanders, crayfish, and other creatures that are part of the food web.

Acid Rain

What causes acid rain? Acid Rain in Nature: The Cause   Acid rain is a term used to define a mixture of rainwater and hazardous pollutants collected from the air. These hazardous pollutants are released as gas emissions caused by power plants, among other things. When the rain falls, it harms anything it touches. Wind can sometimes blow acid rain over hundreds of miles, so the only way to completely stop this natural disaster is for everyone to join together and stop pollution.  Here are some types of HAPS (hazardous air pollutants) Carbon monoxide Lead Nitrogen oxides Carbon dioxide Sulfur dioxides. These pollutants are all pretty bad. The biggest contributer in carbon monoxide. Most pollutants are released from car emissions. Automobiles release harmful gasses into the air, which contribute to acid rain. Coal, oil, and gasoline are also some other causes of the pollutants.

What does acid rain do? Acid Rain in Nature: The Effect   Acid rain harms everything in its path. Centuries old buildings and sculptures have been ruined due to the acidic content in acid rain. Culture has been tarnished by new age-problems. Trees are also harmed by acid rain. In Germany, the forests all look like skeletons of what they once were. Scientists believe that the acid harms the waxy outer coating that protects leaves, letting the hazardous gases seep into the leaves. This prevents the leaf from taking in Carbon Dioxide, which is needed to perform photosynthesis. The plant will eventually die. By harming the protective coating, the trees also cannot withstand cold very well. The acid soaks into the ground, taking most of the valuable nutrients needed for the tree to survive. It leaves aluminum in its place, which is very harmful to plants. Acid rain has a big effect on animals an humans, too. Breathing problems, nervous system problems, and lung problems are caused from the inhaling of gases in acid rain. Also, the acid rain soaks into the soil we plant our crops in, acidifying the ground.   Acid rain has a damaging effect on many things, such as , monuments and cars.. The chemicals in acid rain can cause paint to peel, and monumnets to appear old and worn down.

What causes acid rain? Factories and power plants: These factories and power plants burn fuels like 1. natural gas 2. Coal and 3. oil. Industries in Germany have mostly coal-burning factories. Germany is one of the leading exporters of cars, steel, and chemical products.

What causes acid rain? Cars and buses: Germans also own more cars than people of most other countries. This adds to acid rain through emissions.

What causes acid rain? Nature Toxic smoke produces by manufacturing plants is carried on air currents to other places before it falls to earth as acid rain. Germany shares borders with many countries . Sometimes air currents bring chemical filled smoke from coal burning factories in the UK to Germany. Then the chemicals fall to earth in Germany as acid rain.

How is Germany trying to solve the problem of acid rain? 1. in southern Germany, the old coal burning factories are being replaced with plants using water power. 2. Laws how been passed to reduce emissions from cars. 3. Factories are switching to cleaner fuels 4. Taller smoke stacks are being used. As a member of the EU , Germany has promised to reduce its use of fossil fuels.

How can new types of energy reduce the amount of acid rain? Germany is the leading producer of wind turbines and solar power technology in the world. Because of these efforts the country’s harmful emissions are falling. This in turn is reducing the amount of acid rain.