What+can+we+do?

=__**How can we neutralize or reverse the affects of acid rain?**__=

Almost all of the energy used to power modern day life comes directly from the burning of fossil fuels suck as coal, natural gasses, and oil. Acid deposition is placed by two main pollutants that are released into the atmosphere during the burning of fossil fuels: sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. The main culprit for sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emission is coal. Sulfur is present is all coal as a mere impurity. However, when coal is released to the air, the sulfur reacts with air as a huge impact. Basically, acid rain is formed when any fossil fuel is burned.

The best way we can reduce sulfur dioxide emissions is to use coal that contains less sulfur, washing factory coal, and using devices called "scrubbers" that will chemically remove sulfur dioxide from gases leaving a coal power plant. Power plants could also switch fuels to natural gas such as oxygen, hydrogen, and helium. Certain approaches of reducing pollutants may have additional effects such as mercury and carbon dioxide. Though there is no easy way to dilute the acid because it is in the atmosphere we can cut back on the things that cause acid rain in the first place. Like scrubbers on power plants, catalytic converters on cars can reduce nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions. If every car in the world uses these converters, then sulfur dioxide emission will drastically decrease and will result in less acid rain clouds. Thankfully, the EPA is constantly working on changing gasoline to burn more clean and efficient.

Some other types of ways you can reduce acid rain can be simple everyday things. For example:

=At Home= =Transportation=
 * Turn off lights in all empty rooms
 * Turn down heat when not at home
 * Don't overuse the air conditioner
 * Install fluorescent light bulbs instead of incandescent light bulbs
 * Reduce, Reuses, Recycle
 * Less fire burning
 * When traveling, use bus, bike, train, and feet more
 * use alternate fuels (ethanol, propane, natural gases)
 * only travel at high speed when absolutely necessary

A futuristic way to reduce acid rain would be to attempt to neatralize the acid by adding bases to the clouds. The neatral end product will succesfully be diluted and will far par in comparison to the original concentrated, acidic solution. Adding the solvent water may be crucial to future acid rain reduction. The main thing scientists must test now is a way to increase water solvent/ acid rain solution solubility and find a way to increase their compatablilty. Although this may seem impossible, hopefully in the future we will be able to attempt this economical feat.