Acid Rain Pollution

ACID RAIN

Chapter 5. Read and memorize

Chapter 4. Read and test yourself

Chapter 3. Read and discuss

Chapter 2. Read and speak out

CONTENTS

"Green" problems and solutions......................................5

Concern for the environment..........................................24

Environmental quizes and puzzles....................................37

Earthly poems and phrases...........................................49

"GREEN" PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

The Earth is our home, but much of it is dirty or dying. Why?

Our planet is 4,600 million years old - but imagine for a moment that it's only 46.

v Life began in the oceans 4 years ago.

v Dinosaurs appeared (and disappeared) last year.

v Modern man arrived 4 hours ago.

v One hour ago he learned how to farm.

v One minute ago machines and industry began.

v In the last 60 seconds man has...

♦ polluted the air, sea, and land

♦ used most of the Earth's oil, gas and coal

♦ completely killed more than 500 kinds of animals, birds and plants

♦ made and used atomic bombs

♦ grown in numbers from I billion (in 1830) to nearly 6 billion today.

It's a disaster and it's still happening. But not all the news is bad. In the last 30 years there has been a Green revolution. Today, many scien­tists and world leaders realise that the Earth is in danger.

It's really very simple. Either we stop killing the Earth or we will kill ourselves. We need a cleaner, healthier planet. Millions of ordinary people — both young and old — understand this too. Some of them belong to Green organisations in countries all over the world.

Let's look at the environmental problems and solutions more closely.

Modem industry produces a lot of dangerous gases. Two of the most dan­gerous are sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. To stop pollution near fac­tories and power stations, these gases enter the atmosphere from tall chim­neys. Then they mix with water in the air. After that the wind carries them for hundreds or even thousands of kilometres. Finally, the mixture of water and chemicals falls back to earth as acid rain.

□ The Problem

Here are some facts and figures on acid rain pollution in Europe.

v Seven million hectares of European forest are dead or dying because of acid rain.

Country % of Forest Dead or Dying

West Germany 54 %

Switzerland 50 %

Netherlands 50 %

Poland 27 %

Austria 25 %

Belgium 4.5%

Denmark 2.9 %

v 80% of the lakes in south Norway have acid pollution.

v 50% of that pollution comes from Britain.

v Sweden receives 6 times more sulphur dioxide from other countries than it produces itself.

v 60% of Britain's sulphur dioxide comes from power stations which use coal.

v Britain produces 3.6 million tonnes of sulphur dioxide every year. 75% of it falls in other countries as acid rain.

v The soil in parts of Scandinavia is now 10 times more acid than 50 years ago.

v In Britain there are dangerously high levels of acid in 120 Welsh rivers and 57 Scottish lakes. When scientists tried to put new fish into one lake, all the fish died in less than two days.

v Acid rain doesn't just kill trees and lakes. It's also attacking many of Europe's most famous buildings — Notre Dame in Paris and St. Paul's in London, for example. Also, doctors now think that acid rain can harm people, too. Figures show more lung and kidney illness in coun­tries with high levels of acid pollution.

□ The Solution

Is it Possible to Stop Acid Rain?

The short answer is 'yes', but not quickly or easily. That's because money is at the centre of the acid rain problem. It's not cheap to make power stations or factories cleaner. In other words, less acid rain means more expensive electricity. Even so, that's a price which some countries are ready to pay. In 1983 a group of European nations, 'The 30% Club', agreed to produce 30% less acid rain pollution by 1993. (Britain didn't join the club. Instead it agreed to spend Ј770 million on the fight against acid rain.) The cost of their plan was $1.4 billion - an extra 4% on the average electricity bill.

It's a start, but many scientists believe it's not enough. In parts of Norway, for example, the acid level needs to be 80% lower, not 30%, to save the environment.

Many young people are worried about the acid rain problem, too. In fact, several British and Norwegian schools are now twinned and send each other information about acid rain. Also, there's a project called 'Acid Drops' in Britain. This helps science classes to study the problem. In 1986 (European Year of the Environment) there was even an international 'Acid Drops' project. Students all over Europe produced information and sent it to scientists, politicians and environmental groups like 'Friends of the Earth'.

□ Your opinion

State your view on the acid rain problem. Are you worried about it? Can you give any examples of the acid rain effects on the environment and people? What do you do to stop acid rain?

Дата добавления: 2015-05-24