Integrated Analysis For Acid Rain In Asia

Policy implications and results of RAINS-ASIA model:

 

Fossil fuels account for about 80% of energy consumption in Asia. Because of its abundance and easy recoverability, especially in India and China, coal will remain the fuel of choice in the foreseeable future. If current trends continue, sulphur dioxide emissions from Asia may soon equal the emissions from North America and Europe combined. These trends portend a variety of local, regional, and global environmental impacts. Acid rain damages human health, ecosystems, and built surfaces. 

Many ecosystems will be unable to absorb these increased acidic depositions, leading to irreversible ecosystem damage with far-reaching implications for health, forestry, agriculture, fisheries, and tourism. RAINS-ASIA is a scenario-generating tool used to estimate the extent of damages caused by acid rain and to review the costs and impacts of alternatives to provide a look into the future. Its use extends from national, regional, and city-scale evaluation and inputs for cost-effective options analyses, to international negotiations on transboundary pollution.

Steps To Prevent Acid Rain

Acid rain is caused by air pollutants such as sulphur dioxide or nitrogen oxide. These chemicals are produced by the burning of fossil fuels, the smelting of ore, the burning of coal, and the processing of natural gas. Then the chemicals can travel long distances by wind, mix with precipitation, and fall on the earth, causing damage to plants, animals, and our health. Electric companies and other industries that burn coal produce sulphur dioxide, and the main cause of nitrogen oxide is vehicles and fossil fuels.

One side of prevention is government environmental regulations, to limit the quantity of emissions released into the atmosphere. To follow these regulations, industries can add “scrubbers” to their smoke stacks to reduce the amount of sulphur released. Another option is washing the coal before it is burned, which reduces the amount of sulphur in the coal. To reduce the amount of car exhaust pollution, catalytic converters can be used in vehicles to make the exhaust less harmless.

On a more personal level, there are many things you can do to help prevent acid rain. Try to use your car as little as possible: walk, use public transportation, and carpool. Turn the heat down in your house, and don’t use air conditioning (these things require more gas burning). Conserve water by running a washing machine or dishwasher only with a full load. And remember to turn off lights, and use energy efficient lightbulbs! By following these tips, you will reduce the emissions of fossil fuels by using less energy. If we all pitch in and do our part, we can improve our quality of life and the beautiful earth on which we live.