6.1 Consider This:  The Clean Air Act

If you are willing to work your way through over 400 pages of text, read the 1990 version of the Clean Air Act. A far friendlier approach is to browse through "The Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act" provided by the EPA. The document explains the role of the federal government and that of the states. How do these roles differ? Summarize the Clean Air Act’s program to reduce acid air pollutants.

6.10 Consider This:  Acidity of Foods

1. List vinegar, tomatoes, lemons, apples, cola, pure water, and yogurt in approximate order of increasing acidity. See Figure 6.6.
2. List any four foods of your own choosing in approximate order of pH. Then look up the pH values on the Web, using a table provided by the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition or another source of your own choosing.
3. Why do you suppose there are so few foods with pH greater than 7?

6.11 Consider This:  The Rain in Maine . . . or New York or Vermont

All 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, have one or more precipitation monitoring sites. They are all part of the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network (NADP/NTN). Some have been collecting data since the 70s, and the NADP/NTN now posts the data on the Web. Answer these questions.

1. How many monitoring sites are in your state? For a site of your choice, what agency operates it and what agency funds it? Use the "trend data" to create a plot of the pH values of rain over the past few years. What is a typical value? What is the trend?
2. How does the precipitation in your state compare to others? Make a prediction and then look up the data for another state of your choice. Again look at the trend data.

6.15 Consider This:  Exposure to the Elements

Examine again the opening photo of the chapter as well as the one in Figure 6.16. While it may be tempting to blame all the damage on acid rain, other agents act as well. View the different types of deterioration for yourself by taking a photo tour of our nation’s capitol, courtesy of the United States Geological Survey. What kinds of damage do the photos show? What factors promote damage by acid rain? What else has caused the buildings to deteriorate?

6.16 Consider This:  Acid Rain Across the Globe

The issues and concerns of acid rain vary around the globe. Many countries in North America and Europe have web sites dealing with acid rain. Either locate one by searching or go to the web sites provided by Sweden, Germany, Japan and Canada. What are the concerns in the country you selected? Does part of the acid deposition originate outside the country you picked?

6.18 Consider This:  Hazy in Yellowstone?

What is the latest in the battle for clear skies? If you search for keywords such as "haze" and "national parks," you will be rewarded by a variety of news articles and press releases. Determine

1. the current status of EPA’s efforts to reduce haze
2. the proposed timetable for the emissions cuts
3. any progress noted by industry or government in clearing the air.

6.22 Consider This:  Clean Coal Update

The CCT Program is funded both by government and industry, and seeks technologies that meet the needs of our environment. What is new in coal-cleaning technology? Look up one of the success stories on the Web and report the details. You might want to start with The Clean Coal Technology Compendium. This site has several dozen links to other coal organizations and demonstration projects.

6.23 Consider This:  Emissions Close to Home

Thanks to the EPA, you now can find the acid rain emissions data for the power plants in your state. Visit the EPA’s web site for Clean Air Market Programs. Select a plant of your choice and report:

1. the name of the plant and the type(s) of fuel it burns
2. whether or not emissions controls are installed
3. the tons of SO₂ and NO_x emitted
4. the trend in emissions, by looking at previous years

Note: This information is no longer easily available on the web. This EPA site has links to the emissions data and compliance reports (which are hard to use).

6.24 Consider This:  Up for Auction

The year 2003 marks the 11th annual auction for sulfur dioxide allowances conducted each spring for the EPA by the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). How have allowances sales been going? You can learn more about emissions credits at the EPA web site. For example, you can find recent information about allowance auctions and price trends at the EPA’s site, the Clean Air Markets Division (formerly the Acid Rain Program). Do some detective work on the Web and see if you can find out:

1. are the allowances more costly or less costly this year than last?
2. how many allowances were auctioned last year?
3. are most companies still achieving compliance without having to buy credits?

A more difficult Web research question that you might want to consider is which emissions credits, if any, are now auctioned for pollutants other than SO₂. A starting point for your search is EPA’s NO_x Budget Trading Program.