Europe, where there is the worst acid rain, had been suffering from acid rain for many years along with many countries in North America before they finally realized that there was no borderline of atmosphere. The prevention and control of acid rain is a global environmental problem requiring more than one country to solve it together. The emission of sulfur oxide and nitric oxide.
After many times of negotiation, Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) was adopted during a meeting of environment ministers of UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) in November,1979. And it was implemented in 1983.
According to the convention, until the end of 1993 all countries that are parties to LRTAP need to cut down emissions of SO2 to 70% of what it was in 1980. 32 countries in Europe and South America including the United States and Canada signed on this convention. To meet these stipulations, lots of countries had already took effective measures and enacted laws to lower the emission that may cause the acid rain.
These countries should also work on the following aspects to prevent acid rain:
Develop new energy resources, like hydrogen energy, solar energy, water energy, tidal energy, geothermal energy and so on to try to reduce air pollution;
Use desulphurization technology to let out less SO2;
Discharge industrial waste gas after disposition;
Encourage public transportation means and the behavior of driving less;
Call for the use of clean energy like natural gas or electric energy instead of coals.
At the beginning of 1980s, 1o million hectares of forests in 22 countries in Europe were destroyed by acid rain causing economic loss high up to 9 billion dollars. In the same year, the production of American grains was deteriorated by acid rain with the cost of 3.5 billion dollar. Sphinx, the famous image of a lion with a human head in front of the Egyptian pyramids, looks dirty and ugly with a lot of pits and spots on face. It is like someone has splashed ladles of sulphuric acid to destroy its appearance on purpose.
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