Since clean water is essential to sustain life, becoming educated with the causes of acid rain and acid rain effects is important. Knowledge of these things will help control the problem. Controlling the problem will lead to a sustained and more healthy place to live.

Education on acid rain is important for environmental professionals as well as any adult or child alive. The rolling effect of even the smallest damage of acid rain comes right up the food chain and hurts people as well. Acid rain is a pollutant that affects our world, harming many of the things we need to have life. Acid in the rain removes nutrients that the plants, fish and even humans need to survive.

1. Acid rain on plants causes them to wither and die. Entire forests have already been affected.

2. Acid rain damage in our waters is evident when fish become sick and die.

3. Acid rain wears on human life too. With acid rain, chemical reactions occur that affect vehicle paint and high pH levels wear on stone buildings and statues, causing them to weaken.

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Prepare yourself with knowledge to help teach others about acid rain

Sources are available to provide you with current information that will help you teach others about acid rain. This information can also be a resource for personal education. Even the most basic information on acid rain helps people begin to understand the severity of the issue.

I recommend: If you are looking for an on-going source of information for acid rain education and training, sign up for Lesson Planet and have access to a variety of lessons geared to all ages. The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program has plans that provide an object lesson for a comparable visualization on the effects of acid rain. Boreal Laboratories has a video curriculum on acid rain available.

Seek acid rain information intended for professional education

Those who work in the environmental industry, dealing with air, water, and vegetation, require in-depth information on acid rain. Professional resources are available for those who need to deepen their knowledge of the subject. While there is no schooling specifically for acid rain, training can be gleaned from specially designed classes, other professionals, associations or personal research.

I recommend: Environmental Expert has a three-day training course for professionals with an interest in air and water quality. Professionals passionate about acid rain can get involved with the National Atmospheric Deposition Program. The Environmental Protection Agency has an Acid Rain Program that can give you the most current acid rain info. At Science Daily, you can find up-to-date information on acid rain through the plethora of articles available from knowledgeable professionals.

Find information on acid rain through visual aids

Seeing things first-hand often has a bigger impact than reading when it comes to a definitive cause and effect. For those who are unable to actually see damaged areas and who are unable to perform experiments to encourage similar results, photographs and videos are another option for comparing information and gaining knowledge. Charts and graphs are also available that reveal information quickly.

I recommend: Britannica has an array of videos from which to obtain knowledge of acid rain. Clean Air Markets supplies information in a fun way through the use of graphics and charts. A continually updated list of professional documents on acid rain and current findings about it can be found at docstoc.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Some careers that are affected by acid rain include marine biology and marine science, ecology, environmental sciences and any other career that deals with water, fish, plants, buildings, stone, animals and maybe someday even humans.

With global warming jumping to the environmental forefront, acid rain doesn't seem to have quite as big of an impact as it once did. It is still a problem, particularly in the Northeast, where emissions from vehicles are higher than the rest of the nation. The causes of acid rain are simple. When compounds like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides hit the air and rise in the atmosphere, as they are turned back into moisture, they fall back to the earth as acid rain.

Information on acid rain is abundant, and studies on acid rain effects are clear. A solution to the acid rain chemical problem needs to be addressed both on a level or prevention, but also at the level of treatment of natural resources damaged as well as man-made property, such as items like cars or monuments.

To find more information on acid rain:

1. Look at the causes of acid rain.

2. Study the effects of acid rain damage.

3. Look at acid rain info on prevention as well as treatment of items damaged by acid rain.

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Study the causes of acid rain

Look at what the causes the acid rain and how it forms.

I recommend: Read more about what the Environmental Protection Agency has to say about acid rain. The site discusses causes of acid rain, effects of acid rain, how we measure acid rain as well as reduction methods for acid rain. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation also offers a comprehensive look at the issue of acid rain and its effect on the environment. The Encyclopedia of Earth, supported by the Environmental Information Coalition and the National Council for Science and the Environment and JumpStart both also offer in-depth looks into the topic.

Consider acid rain damage

Find out more about acid rain damage and its impact.

I recommend: Look at the U.S. Geological Survey's acid rain pictures and descriptions. Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources also offers helpful information on the damage to Wisconsin's forests and natural resources caused by acid rain. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Environmental Impacts of Acid Deposition. Look at plant damage shown by The Regents of the University of Michigan- University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

Look at reversal of acid rain effects

Until a solution is available, find out where you can counter acid rain effects on property and vehicles.

I recommend: Choose Trusted Detailing to do your car body work for acid rain. Superior Coating Specialists' Accuflex products can be used for acid rain repair. Look at the Technical Service Bulletins from Finish Kare International on Paint Decontamination from industrial fallout, rail dust and/or acid rain. Find out more about the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program, a program designed to look at the effects of acid rain, so that the government can find effective ways to protect and repair historic buildings and monuments.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Hybrid vehicles and low emissions are one solution to the acid rain issue.
• •  Be socially conscious with what products and services you sell to make sure that they fall under low emission guidelines.

Acid rain occurs when atmospheric precipitation is more acidic than normal. Acid rain causes damage to everything within our ecosystem, including lakes, rivers, streams, trees and forests, mountains, stone and more. Some areas in the world are more sensitive to acid rain and are affected on a greater scale. As you research the causes and effects of acid rain, you’ll run into many terms with which you may be unfamiliar.

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pH

This is the scale used to measure acid rain. Pure water has a pH of 7. Natural rainwater is around 5.6. The lower the number on the pH scale, the more acidic it is.

I recommend: The EPA explains how the pH scale works and where liquids such as lemonade and ammonia fall on the scale. The Encyclopedia of Earth provides a lot of information on pH in relation to acid rain.

Wet deposition

This term refers to acid chemicals being blown into wet weather, such as fog, rain or snow.

I recommend: The U.S. Geological Survey monitors wet deposition throughout the United States.

Dry deposition

This occurs when acid chemicals combine with dust and smoke before falling to the ground or landing on other surfaces. Dry deposition is as harmful as acid in wet precipitation, and it's included in the general term of acid rain.

I recommend: Get more information about dry deposition at the Almanac of Policy Issues.

Fossil fuels

Fossil fuels are oil, coal and natural gas that are used to create energy by power-producing plants and even by cars. The leading cause of acid rain is when the burning of fossil fuels releases sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere that react with other compounds such as water and sunlight.

I recommend: Read more about the effect of fossil fuels burning on acid rain at Alternative Energy.

Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990

Congress passed laws to control the amount of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide emissions by companies. The laws promote energy conservation and encourage the use of alternative clean fuels to, among other things, reduce acid rain.

I recommend: The EPA gives detailed information on what the amendments mean for reducing acid rain.

Episodic acidification

This refers to acidic pulses in bodies of water caused by snowmelt or heavy storms. As a result, large amounts of aquatic life can be destroyed very quickly while the pH level is so low from these brief surges.

I recommend: ScienceMaster explains the consequences of episodic acidification and acid rain on bodies of water. Read how melting snow plays a part in episodic acidification at PhysOrg.com.

Businesses should be sure that they are doing everything possible to reduce or eliminate acid rain by complying with acid rain laws and regulations. Acid rain laws are necessary because the acid rain chemical greatly affects the environment. Federal and state laws have been put in place to reduce acid rain by regulating the amount of pollution businesses can emit into the atmosphere.

Acid rain is caused by the release of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the air when fossil fuels are burned. As a result, the U.S. government has implemented various laws that regulate the emission of these substances to improve air quality. Consider the following tips to learn more about your responsibility in adhering to acid rain laws and regulations.

1. Find out which US laws regulate acid rain.

2. Evaluate regulations addressed in the US Acid Rain Program.

3. Learn your requirements for monitoring the release of the acid rain chemical.

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Determine how US laws help reduce acid rain effects

Federal acid rain laws and regulations are enforced by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Title IV of the Clean Air Act outlines specific information on acid rain regulation. Title IV implemented a two-part plan to decrease acid rain damage in the United States. The first phase started in 1995, with more strict regulations being passed in 2000. Most of the Act calls for increased regulation of coal-fired generating units, which tend to have relatively high emissions of harmful chemicals that cause acid rain.

I recommend: Check out components of Title IV by visiting the US Environmental Protection Agency. You may also read more about Title IV at the Energy Information Administration.

Obtain information on Acid Rain Program regulations

In an effort to encourage the prevention and elimination of acid rain, the US government has created the Acid Rain Program. The Acid Rain Program's goal is to reduce the emission of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which are the two main causes of acid rain. The program allows certain levels of emissions of pollutants, called allowances. Owners and operators who exceed the allowance threshold will face monetary penalties.

I recommend: Obtain acid rain facts sheets regarding the program by visiting the Environmental Defense Fund. To read more about acid rain regulations and possible fines incurred for violating these regulations, check out Kentucky Environmental Matters.

Identify monitoring and reporting acid rain requirements

Under Section 412 of Title IV, business owners and operators are required to install and operate mechanisms that allow them to retrieve data on the amount of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides being released into the air by their processing units. If it's found that the owner or operator doesn't have adequate reporting information, then owner or operator will face fines, penalties and fees.

I recommend: Read more about reporting requirements to decrease acid rain by checking out Cornell Law School. You may also obtain more acid rain info by visiting USinfo.org.