M: I hate this rain. It’s causing the traffic to back up
for miles!
W: Well, I hate this traffic, because it’s helping turn
this rain into acid rain.
M: I heard that acid rain has really bad effects.
Doesn’t it cause cancer and brain damage, and
even Alzheimer’s disease?
W: It definitely can, but the major thing it does is
cause breathing problems. The acid in the rain
comes from smoke and gases that are given off
by cars and factories. It’s like riding your bike
behind a bus that’s showering you with its
exhaust fumes.
M: Oh, I was reading something about that the
other day. It said there’s too much sulfur in the
air and that it’s killing thousands of people every
year.
W: Yes. Sulfur is the major element in factory and
car exhaust. It combines with oxygen and nitrogen
in the air to become the acid in acid rain. This
stuff doesn’t just kill us, you know. It also kills
trees and lakes and animals. The acid soaks into
the plants and animals, so that anyone who eats
the plants and animals is also eating the acid.
M: This sounds terrible! What can people do to
stop acid rain?
W: One simple thing they could do is to use less
energy. Another way to stop acid rain is to drive
less, or at least carpool. Imagine if every car on
this road had four people in it right now. There
would be fewer cars and a lot less acid rain.