Acid rain is of world-wide concern; the issues vary around the globe. A convenient way to check out the regional concerns is to do a web search. Norway, Sweden, Germany, Japan and Canada each have at least one acid rain site.

a. Use the links just provided or search another country of your choice. List the title and URL for the site(s) you visit. By what organization and for what purpose was the site posted?
b. What damage is cited in the country you selected?
c. Check out Acid Rain 2000, a project from Europe.

How acidic is the rain in your state? The answer depends both on the amounts of pollutants emitted into the air and their concentrations. EPA's Center for Environmental Information and Statistics (CEIS) can give you an estimate of the former. To obtain an environmental profile for a state, bring up the U.S. map at CEIS. Select a state and follow directions to request emissions data for all counties in the state. On the final screen, select "air quality" as the topic you wish to investigate. This will bring up a graph entitled, "Tons of Criteria Air Pollution Emissions".
[NOTE: CEIS has been reorganized by the EPA and we are in the process of re-writing this question to match the new web pages. Back soon with an update!]

a. In your state, which pollutant is emitted in the largest number of tons? Does this pollutant contribute to acid rain?

b. For NO_x and SO₂, estimate the values in 1986 and for the most current year given. What trend(s) do you observe? Suggest reasons for any increases or decreases.

c. Does the air in the state you selected blow in from neighboring states? If so, request the data for these states and see how their emissions compare.

The year 2000 marks the eighth annual auction for sulfur dioxide allowances conducted for the EPA by the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). How have the sales been going? You can find out more about trends in prices and the auction results at the EPA site. The CBOT has a page entitled, EcoCenter that explains how they offer "market based solutions for environmental concerns". Do some detective work on the web to answer these questions:

a. Are the recent allowances more or less costly than those reported for previous years?
b. In the most recent year reported, were any of the bids from utilities located near to you?
c. Again in the most recent year, were any of the bids from environmental groups? If so, why do you think they purchased allowances?
A more difficult research question that you might want to consider is which emissions credits, if any, are now auctioned for pollutants other than SO₂. As a starting point, look for information regarding NOx.