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Today’s newsletter is made possible by:
https://www.surfnetkids.com/acidrain.htm Tales of rain drops that remove the color from automobiles sound like science fiction, but unfortunately are not. The good news is the problem of acid rain (or more accurately acid deposition) can be curbed by simple steps of conservation. April 22 is Earth Day. So when you are finished browsing today’s sites, turn off your computer, turn off the lights and go enjoy the daylight! ABC’s of Acid Rainhttp://qlink.queensu.ca/~4lrm4/
“One of the main causes of acid rain is sulphur dioxide. Natural sources which emit this gas are volcanoes, sea spray , rotting vegetation and plankton. However, the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, are largely to be blamed for approximately half of the emissions of this gas in the world.” The blue rain-drop background does make this student research report a tad hard to read, but the site’s authors (from Queens University of Ontario, Canada) gain points for including an extensive bibliography of print sources. Acid Rainhttp://www.ec.gc.ca/acidrain/
“Acid rain is rain, snow or fog that is polluted by acid in the atmosphere and damages the environment. Two common air pollutants acidify rain: sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOX). When these substances are released into the atmosphere, they can be carried over long distances by prevailing winds and return to earth as acidic rain, snow, fog or dust..” This official Canada Environment site is my pick of the day for the depth of its coverage and simple yet effective design. Don’t miss the do-it-yourself experiments in the Kids’ Corner. BBC Education: Forests’ Environmental Problemshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/education/landmarks/high/forests/page3.html
“Europe’s temperate forests have been under attack from polluted air and acid rain. This was first noticed by the Germans and is known as ‘forest death’ or ‘Waldsterben.'” This chapter on environmental threats to forests is just one of six that comprise the Forests topic at BBC. With a short illustrative animation, this page serves as a good introduction to the problem of acid rain for upper elementary and middle school students. To view the rest of the site, follow along with the “Continue” button. At the end, you’ll be looped back to the table of contents. EPA: Acid Rainhttp://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/acidrain/
“‘Acid rain’ is a broad term used to describe several ways that acids fall out of the atmosphere. A more precise term is acid deposition, which has two parts: wet and dry. Wet deposition refers to acidic rain, fog, and snow. Dry deposition refers to acidic gases and particles.” In addition to the concise description of the problems caused by acid rain, the best clicks are the glossary, science experiments, learning activities and the Acid Rain Program Progress Report. This Adobe document (which requires the free Adobe reader) details the progress of the Acid Rain Program since it’s enactment in 1990. Jake’s Attic: Acid Rainhttp://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/jakesattic/lab/acidrain/
“How acidic is the rain where you live? Join the investigation to find out! Then add your local results and see how your community compares to others around the nation. Come back as many times as you want – every time you add your data, you’ll update the national acid rain map. Spread the word to friends in other communities and states!”
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