Acid rain is bad for many reasons, harming plants, animals, and even buildings! It's like a harmful form of rain that can damage the environment.
How Acid Rain Hurts the Environment
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Harms Plants and Animals: Acid rain makes lakes and streams too acidic for fish and other creatures to live. It also damages plants, including trees and crops, by washing away important nutrients from the soil. [Source: Britannica Kids, EPA] This means less food for animals and fewer trees to clean our air.
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Damages Buildings and Structures: Acid rain corrodes, or wears away, the surfaces of buildings and other structures made of materials like stone and metal. [Source: National Geographic] Think of it as slowly eating away at things over time.
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Affects Human Health: The pollutants that cause acid rain can also irritate our lungs when we breathe them in. [Source: NY DEC] This is especially bad for people with breathing problems.
What Causes Acid Rain?
Acid rain starts when pollutants like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air. These pollutants react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals in the air to form acids. [Source: EPA] Power plants and cars are major sources of these pollutants.
What Can We Do?
We can all help reduce acid rain by:
- Reducing our use of energy.
- Using public transportation or walking/biking more often.
- Supporting cleaner energy sources like solar and wind power.
Acid rain is a serious environmental problem, but by working together we can make a difference!
