What+is+being+done?

=**__What is Being Done?__**=  Now that you know about the problems caused by acid rain, you are probably wondering what’s being done to control it. Regulations and new technologies have been put into place to help reduce the occurrence of acid rain.

These include such things as:

**EPA’s Acid Rain Program**
 The electricity we use every day is generated in power plants. However, as well as providing us with our electricity needs, power plants which burn fossil fuels to produce energy also produce large amounts of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide- the pollutants that cause acid rain. In 1990 Congress passed a law named the Clean Air Act. This law stated the EPA should commence the Acid Rain Program. The program helps to limit the amount of sulfur dioxide and nitogen oxides that power plants can release into the air. This program also offers allowances to the power plants to cover their sulfur dioxide emissions.

**Reducing Pollution**
 Many different ways have been discovered to reduce the amount of sulfur dioxide released when burning coal in power plants. One way is to use coal which contains less sulfur. Another way is to remove some of the sulfur by “washing” before it is burned. Scrubbers can also be installed to remove the sulfur dioxide from gases leaving the smokestack. Some power plants are changing the way they burn coal due to the nitrogen oxides they usually create in the process of using fossil fuels.



**Other Sources of Energy**
 Many people have switched from using fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, due to the environmental benefits. Renewable energy sources help to reduce acid rain because they produce much less pollution.



**Cleaner Cars**
 A major source of the pollutants which cause acid rain are cars and trucks. Car manufacturers are required to reduce the amount of nitrogen oxides and other pollutants released by all new cars being built. One type of technology used in cars is called a catalytic converter. This piece of equipment has been used for over 20 years to reduce the amount of nitrogen oxides released by cars. Some new cars can also use cleaner fuels, such as natural gas. Cars that produce less pollution and are better for the environment are often labeled as low emissions vehicles.