Acid Rain
Acid Rain
Acid rain occurs when Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) is released into the atmosphere by electricity generation, motor vehicles, factories and by wildfires and volcanoes. Once released, the sulphur dioxide reacts with water to produce sulphuric acid. This has a pH of approximately 2-3 pH. This has a dramatic effect on water dwelling wildlife. Most water dwelling creatures can’t withstand water more acidic than pH 5. This causes the mass loss of life of animals such as trout, perch, frogs and mayflies. It can also destroy forests as the acid burns away the plant life. The problem is being fought by the use of flue gas desulfurization units which remove sulphur from the emissions from a coal fired power station.
Global Warming
Global warming is the rise in average temperature in the earth’s atmosphere and has been occurring since the mid-19th century. It is caused by greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbon which collect in the atmosphere causing a blanket which lets heat in and keeps it in causing the temperature to rise. This can have catastrophic effects on some nature on earth, most notably in the Polar Regions. The melting of the ice caps is causing the loss of the polar bears habitat and is also causing sea levels to rise which could heavily impact low lying countries such as the Netherlands and Bangladesh. We can reduce global warming by reducing the amount of fossil fuels we burn.
Ocean Acidification
Ocean acidification is the name given to the on-going process of the ocean waters becoming more acidic. It happens because the ocean takes in and stores a large amount of the earth’s carbon and some of that reacts with the water to form carbonic acid thus reducing the pH of the water. It has a major effect on sea life, especially around the coral reefs and in the southern ocean. These coral reefs are also a main source of protein for small islands in the pacific. It has been occurring since the industrial evolution in the 1800’s.
Acid rain occurs when Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) is released into the atmosphere by electricity generation, motor vehicles, factories and by wildfires and volcanoes. Once released, the sulphur dioxide reacts with water to produce sulphuric acid. This has a pH of approximately 2-3 pH. This has a dramatic effect on water dwelling wildlife. Most water dwelling creatures can’t withstand water more acidic than pH 5. This causes the mass loss of life of animals such as trout, perch, frogs and mayflies. It can also destroy forests as the acid burns away the plant life. The problem is being fought by the use of flue gas desulfurization units which remove sulphur from the emissions from a coal fired power station.
Global Warming
Global warming is the rise in average temperature in the earth’s atmosphere and has been occurring since the mid-19th century. It is caused by greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbon which collect in the atmosphere causing a blanket which lets heat in and keeps it in causing the temperature to rise. This can have catastrophic effects on some nature on earth, most notably in the Polar Regions. The melting of the ice caps is causing the loss of the polar bears habitat and is also causing sea levels to rise which could heavily impact low lying countries such as the Netherlands and Bangladesh. We can reduce global warming by reducing the amount of fossil fuels we burn.
Ocean Acidification
Ocean acidification is the name given to the on-going process of the ocean waters becoming more acidic. It happens because the ocean takes in and stores a large amount of the earth’s carbon and some of that reacts with the water to form carbonic acid thus reducing the pH of the water. It has a major effect on sea life, especially around the coral reefs and in the southern ocean. These coral reefs are also a main source of protein for small islands in the pacific. It has been occurring since the industrial evolution in the 1800’s.