Canada

1. Canada Acid Rain: Causes, Effects, and �Cures�. Presented by Angel Harris April 2006

2. Acid Rain What is acid rain? The main effects of acid rain Damages & the areas affected most The effects on life & commerce Reversal & prevention of damage Bibliography & reference

3. What Is Acid Rain? Acid gases are produced when fossil fuels like coal and oil are burned in power stations, factories and in our own homes. Most of these acid gases are blown into the sky, and when they mix with the clouds it can cause rain - or snow, sleet, fog, mist or hail - to become more acidic.

4. Air Pollution When we burn fuels, chemicals called 'sulphur' and 'nitrogen' are released into the air. Once in the air, they mix with water in the air - rain, snow, etc - and are transformed into different chemicals called 'sulphur dioxide' and 'nitrogen oxides', which can be very dangerous for plants, animals and people. Most of the 'sulphur' comes from power stations, which make electricity, and also from volcanoes. Most of the 'nitrogen oxides' come from car and truck exhausts.

5. Acid Rain & Canada Air pollution can be carried over long distances. When acid gases are released, they go high up in the sky, and then they are pushed by strong winds towards other countries. In the USA, the winds blow the air pollution to certain areas in Canada.

6. The Causes Air quality problems in most parts of New Brunswick, Canada and the U.S. Have multiple sources of pollutants. For example, in respect to nitrogen oxides (a contributor to acid rain formation), the transportation sector contributes 49% of this pollutant, electric utilities 29% and industry 28%.

7. Where It Comes From Sulphur dioxide emissions by contrast are electric utilities 66%, industry 28% and transportation 3%. When it comes to carbon dioxide (one of the major greenhouse gases contributing to climate change), the transportation sector makes up 30%, industry 22% and electric utilities 36%. Source: Canada/U.S. air quality agreement progress report.

8. Effects On Forests Acid rain can have terrible effects on a forest. The acid takes away important minerals from the leaves and the soil. Minerals are like vitamins for trees and plants. Without them, trees and plants cannot grow properly. They lose their leaves and become very weak. They are no longer strong enough to fight against illnesses and frost. They become very ill and can even die.

9. Effects On Water Life Acid rain has a terrible effect on water life. Even if the acid rain does not fall straight into the lake, for example, it may enter from rivers and streams. Some of the life in the lake such as fish and plants may end up dying, because they cannot survive in acidic lakes.

10. Effects On Fish

11. Effects On Lakes & Rivers You can recognize a lake dead from acid rain by its clean and crystal clear water. But they look clean because there is very little living in them anymore. Tiny plants and animals are mostly unable to survive.

12. Effects On Humans

13. Effects On Buildings

14. Effects On Commerce Across Ontario and Quebec, maple syrup producers are saying that acid rain is killing their trees and their industry. The Ontario Ministry of Environment is on the trail, trying to prove conclusively that acid rain causes damage to vegetation and forestry. This is the first terrestrial study of acid rain, though reports of its suspected effects were published four years ago.

15. Areas Of Worst Effect Without further controls beyond those identified in the 1991 Canada-U.S. Air Quality Agreement, areas of southern and central Ontario, southern and central Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia would continue to receive a mean annual sulphate deposition amount that exceeds their critical loads.

16. Critical Load The critical load would be exceeded by up to 10 kg/ha/yr of wet sulphate in parts of central Ontario and central and southern Quebec. As a result, about 95,000 lakes would remain damaged by acid rain. Lakes in these areas have not responded to reductions in sulphate deposition as well as, or as rapidly as, those in less sensitive regions. In fact, some sensitive lakes continue to acidify.�

17. Southeast Canada In total, without further controls, almost 800,000 km2 in southeastern Canada-an area the size of France and the United Kingdom combined-would receive harmful levels of acid rain; That is, levels well above critical load limits for aquatic systems.

18. Reversing The Damage American President George Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney have signed an acid rain agreement. One aspect of the ten-year-old acid rain fight is now over: the struggle to get both countries to stop blaming each other and accept responsibility for a global problem. 

19. Terms Of Agreement The agreement requires both governments to produce detailed monitoring reports every six months to prove they are living up to clean air legislation. The U.S. has failed to keep up their end of this agreement.

20. Canada�s Plea To The US In a speech to United States Congress, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney makes a plea for the reduction of sulphur emissions from industry. Canada has decided to take the step alone, but wants the United States to follow suit. Air pollution has no borders: if America doesn't cut back, Canada's pollution controls will be for naught.

21. Bibliography http://ilc.royalsaskmuseum.ca/ilc6/pages/62c/63i/63ip2p2.htm http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/acid_rain.htm http://www.qesnrecit.qc.ca/cc/acidrain/st-web.htm http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/kids/acidrain.html http://www.ns.ec.gc.ca/msc/as/acidfaq.html http://142.166.52.142/html/acidrain.php http://archives.cbc.ca/ACT-1-75-584/science_technology/acid_rain/educational_activities/ http://resources.yesican-science.ca/trek/water/water_ec/FSA-3.html http://www.elements.nb.ca/theme/transportation/gordon/gordon.htm http://www.ec.gc.ca/acidrain/acidfact.html http://weather.about.com/library/weekly/aa032502a.htm http://www.gonzaga.k12.nf.ca/academics/science/2200/sci2200-04/unit01/section03/lesson05/3-lesson-a.htm