tates. Presently, the United States annually discharges more than 26 million tons of suffer dioxide into the atmosphere. Three states, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois are responsible for nearly a quarter of this total. Overall, two-thirds of the sulfur dioxide released into the atmosphere over the United States comes from coal-fired and oil-fired plants. Industrial boilers, smelters, and refineries contribute 26%; commercial institutions and residences 5%; and transportation 3%. The outlook for future emissions of sulfur dioxide is not a bright one. Between now and the year 2010, United States utilities are expected to double the amount of coal they burn. The United States currently pumps some 23 million tons of nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere throughout the course of the year. Transportation sources account for 40%; power plants, 30%; industrial sources, 25%; and commercial institutions and residues, 5%. What makes these figures particularly disturbing is that nitrogen oxide emissions have tripled in the last thirty years. Acid rain is very real and a very threatening problem. Action by one government is simply not enough. In order for things to be done we need to find a way to work together on this for, at the least, a reduction in the contaminates contributing to acid rain. There are certainly right steps in the right directions, but the government should be cracking down on factories not using the best filtering systems when incinerating, or if the factory is giving off any other dangerous fumes. I fear that the world is going to die along with the human race, because of our mistreatment of the planet. We need to put our feet down and save what little we have left. I would like to ask this question to you: Would you rather pay a little now or a lot later?...
