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The ARP
The ARP
Despite Acid Rain being incredibly hard to finish, there is a program out there trying to fix the problem. This program is known as the Acid Rain Program, or ARP for short. This program requires huge reductions of SO2 (sulfur dioxide) and NOx (nitrogen oxides) from the power sector. It puts a permanent cap on the amount of SO2 that can be produced, and the final cap in 2010 was set at half the levels of SO2 that there was in 1980. To cut down on NOx, they use another program that, quoted from the page, "applies to a subset of coal-fired EGUs and is closer to a traditional, rate-based regulatory system." So far, they've received incredible emission reductions, as shown by the maps you can find here and to the right.
How We Can Help
How We Can Help
While we can't really help with the ARP, there are other ways that all of us can help out. For example, conserve your energy. The creation of electricity and power in power plants actually produces some of the chemicals that create Acid Rain, so conserving your energy by turning off electrical appliances and only turning on your heat or AC when you need to really helps! Another way to help is finding alternative modes of transportation. Cars also produce chemicals that create Acid Rain, so consider riding your bike instead of using the car. And lastly, use alternative fuels. Instead of using nonrenewables like coal and gas, use solar and wind energy. All of these things greatly decrease the amount of SO2 and NOx put into the air!
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