AcId RaIn

1. Think about a topic related to Environment.
a) You're going to look for at least 3 sources of information on the Internet.

http://www.ypte.org.uk/environmental/acid-rain/1
http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/whatisacid.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/acid_rain.htm
www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/kids/acidrain.html

b) Make a vocabulary list.

allow: to make it possible for someone to do something, or to not prevent something from happening
bedrock: [U] the hard area of rock in the ground which holds up the loose earth above
bleach: noun [U] a strong chemical used for cleaning things or
removing colour from things
buffering: [C] something or someone that helps protect from harm.
cap: verb [T often passive] -pp- to put a limit on the amount of money that can be charged or spent in connection with a particular activity:
coating: coat (COVER) verb [T] to cover something with a layer of a particular substance:noun [C](ALSO coating)
crayfish: (plural crayfish or crayfishes) noun [C or U] a small animal which lives in rivers and is similar to a lobster, or its flesh eaten as food
downpours: noun [C usually singular] a lot of rain in a short time
droplets: noun [C]a small drop of liquid
erode: verb [I or T] to rub or be rubbed away gradually.
fir: noun [C] a tall evergreen tree that grows in cold countries and has needle-like leaves
float away: You say that an object is floating around when you think it is not far away but you cannot see exactly where.
hatch: verb [I or T] to (cause an egg to) break in order to allow a young animal to come out
hazardous: noun [C] something that is dangerous and likely to cause damage.
limestone: noun [U] a white or light grey rock which is used as a building material and in the making of cement
liming: (ALSO limescale) white material that collects inside water pipes, etc. in areas where the water is hard (= contains a lot of natural chemicals)
lung:noun [C] either of the two organs in the chest with which people and some animals breathe.
marsh: noun [C or U] ground near a lake, river or the sea, that tends to flood and is always wet.
mayfly: noun [C] an insect which lives near water and only lives for a very short time as an adult
minnow: noun [C] a very small fish found in lakes and rivers
puddle: noun [C] a small pool of liquid on the ground, especially from rain
roach: noun [C] plural roach a European fish that lives in fresh water
sandstone: noun [U] a type of rock formed from sand.
scrubber: Brit pej inf traînée f
seep: vi filtrer; to ~ into sth s'infiltrer dans qc.
sleet: noun [U] wet, partly melted falling snow.
smokestack: noun [C] a tall vertical pipe which takes smoke from anengine powered by steam or from factory.
soot: noun [U] a black powder made mainly of carbon which is
produced when coal, wood, etc. is burnt.
spruce: noun [C or U] an evergreen tree with needle-like leaves, or the pale-coloured wood of this tree.
stunt: noun [C] an exciting action, usually in a film, that is dangerous or appears dangerous and usually needs to be done by someone skilled. waxy: noun [U] a solid fatty substance that softens and melts when warm. weigh up: to think carefully about the advantages or disadvantages of a situation before making a decisión.

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

• 
  Acid Rain
  
  
  Abstract.
  
  What is acid rain?
  Acid rain is rain that has been made by certain pollutants in the air. It is formed when industries or factories burn any type of fuel and therefore they produce lots of different chemicals (polluting gases). Some of these gases (especially nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide) react with the tiny droplets of water in clouds to form sulphuric and nitric acids. The rain from these clouds falls as very weak acid, this phenomen is called "acid rain".
  Acid rain could be a dry or wet deposition, the first one happens when gases and dust particles become acidic. The second one appears in many forms like rain, sleet, snow, or fog. Both wet and dry deposition can be carried by the wind, sometimes for very long distances.
  What is acidity?
  Acidity is measured using a pH scale. A pH scale runs from zero (the most acidic) to 14 (the most basic or alkaline). Something with a pH value of 7, we call neutral, this means that it is neither acidic nor alkaline.
  Acidity can be tested using litmus paper. Acids turn litmus paper red, and alkalis turn it blue.
  Where is it coming from?
  Scandinavia was the first place where acid rain was observed in 1950 and it was then that people began to realise that the origins of this pollution were far away in Britain and Northern Europe. One early answer to industrial air pollution was to build very tall chimneys. Unfortunately all this does is push the polluting gases up into the clouds allowing emissions to float away on the wind. The wind carries the pollution many hundreds of miles away where it eventually falls as acid rain.
  What is acid rain caused by?
  Human activities are the main cause of acid rain because humans have released so many different chemicals into the air that they have changed the mix of gases in the atmosphere. For example, when they burn fuels, it produces a mix which reacts with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form more acidic pollutants. In addition to this, the exhaust from cars, trucks, and buses releases nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide into the air cause acid rain. On the other hand, acid rain is caused by reactions in the environment too.
  Moreover, acid rain is mainly caused by these substances that are being released into the air:
  · Carbon dioxide
  · Carbon monoxide.
  · Chlorofluorocarbons.
  · Hazardous air pollutants (HAPS).
  · Lead.
  · Nitrogen oxides.
  · Ozone.
  · Particulate matter (PM).
  · Sulfur dioxides.
  · Volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
  Most of the pollutants are from automobiles. Automobiles release harmful smoke into the air, which causes acid rain. Coal, oil, and gasoline are also some of the most common causes of all of the pollutants.
  
  The Effects of Acid Rain.
  
  Forests.
  Acid rain can effect trees in several different ways, it may:
  · dissolve the nutrients and minerals, such a magnesium and calcium, in the soil which help the trees to grow and be healthy.
  · cause trees to grow more slowly or even to die.
  · cause the release of harmful substances such as aluminium into the soil.
  · wear away the waxy protective coating of leaves, damaging them and preventing them from being able to photosynthesise properly.
  Lakes and Rivers.
  · The water becomes clearer and the numbers of fish and other water animals decline.
  · Freshwater shrimps, snails, mussels are the most quickly affected by acidification followed by fish such as minnows, salmon and roach.
  · The acidity of the water can cause deformity in young fish and can prevent eggs from hatching properly.
  · The increase in acidity and aluminum levels can be deadly to aquatic wildlife, including phytoplankton, mayflies, rainbow trout, small mouth bass, frogs, spotted salamanders, crayfish, and other creatures that are part of the food web.
  Buildings.
  The chemicals found in acid rain can cause paint to peel and stone statues to begin to appear old and worn down, which reduces their value and beauty
  Acid rain can also ruin buildings because the acid eats into metal and stone. It also damages stained glass and plastics.
  In many places in the world, ancient and famous buildings and monuments are affected by acid rain. For example, the Statue of Liberty in New York, USA, has had to be restored because of acid rain damage.
  People.
  Air pollution like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides can cause respiratory diseases like asthma or chronic bronchitis, or can make these diseases worse.
  Acid rain can cause respiratory problems, like pneumonia and bronchitis, and can even cause permanent lung damage like cancer.
  Water we drink from taps can be contaminated by acid rain, which can damage the brain.
  Solutions.
  Government.
  · Governments need to spend more money on pollution control even if it does mean an increase in the price of electricity.
  · Governments need to invest in researching different ways to produce energy.
  · Greater subsidies of public transport by the government to encourage people to use public transport rather than always travelling by car.
  · To “wash” the coal to remove some of the sulfur. The power plant can also install equipment called scrubbers, which remove the sulfur dioxide from gases leaving the smokestack.
  
  
  You
  Understand the problem and its solutions. Now that you have learned about this environmental issue, you can tell others about it.
  Turn off lights, computers, televisions, video games, and other electrical equipment when you're not using them.
  Encourage your parents to buy equipment that uses less electricity, including lights, air conditioners, heaters, refrigerators, and washing machines.
  Install fluorescent light bulbs instead of incandescent light bulbs.
  Try to reduce, reuse, and recycle as often as you can.
  When you are going to work, you could walk, ride your bike, or take a bus.
  Limit the amount of long trips you take in your car.
  Make sure that your vehicle’s air conditioning system isn’t leaking.
  Conclusion.
  Acid rain is slowly deteriorating our planet. It is our responsibility to make sure that we protect the earth for future generations to enjoy.
  We should stop polluting, for example riding your car just to go to your neighbors five houses away from yours, or factories should have filters so that less pollution goes in the sky. People should walk to places or ride a bike.