The Environmental Issues of Europe Acid Rain in Germany, Air Pollution in the United Kingdom, and the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster in the Ukraine ©2011 Clairmont Press

Acid Rain in Germany  Acid Rain is caused by the burning of fossil fuels  The burning of coal with high sulfur content is a major contributor.  Sulfur Dioxide is released from coal burning power plants into the atmosphere where it combines with water molecules to become acid rain.  Hydrochloric Acid released from fossil fuel burning automobiles also combines with water molecules and sulfur dioxide to create acid rain.  Acid Rain is destroying the Black Forest of southern Germany. Once famed for its picturesque landscapes, now many dead evergreen trees stand in ruin.  Germany’s government has moved aggressively to limit the burning of fossil fuels and coal; environmentally conscious citizens are reducing their energy usage to prevent the problem. Click for statue damaged by acid rain.

Air Pollution in the United Kingdom  In December of 1952, on a particularly frigid weekend in London, people across town struggled to heat their homes with coal burning stoves.  The intense amount of coal burned in homes and local factories released tons of ash into the air. This combined with the dense fog to create a smog that would claim the lives of thousands of people.  The Great Smog of 1952 was an eye-opening experience for the United Kingdom.  The Government has issued two separate air quality acts since the Great Smog but still struggles to maintain it today.  jun/03/uk-warning-london-air-quality jun/03/uk-warning-london-air-quality

Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster in the Ukraine  The Chernobyl nuclear disaster has devastated a region of the Ukraine since April of  Radiation poisons the atmosphere, plants, and humans that live there.  A meltdown occurred when the cooling chamber failed due to poor maintenance upkeep.  The Soviet Union was in control of the Ukraine at the time of the disaster.  The Soviet Union did not warn the international community for three days.  They downplayed the situation to Ukrainian citizens who were being poisoned.  Eventually, Swedish scientists discovered the radiation in the atmosphere.  The city of Prypiat is still a ghost town from the evacuation and relocation of citizens by the Communist regime of the Soviet Union. [Click for photo]Click for photo  It is not known the number of people who died as a result of radiation poisoning from the accident.  Some say that this was the first step in the downfall of the Soviet Union.