Acid Rain

90% of acid rain is caused by humans - mainly from burning coal and oil.

Acid rain increases infant mortality, reduces proper lung functioning, causes at least 50,000 premature deaths each year, acidifies lakes and rivers causing fish species to die out, leach heavy metals that get into fish making them toxic to humans, damages tree foliage and soil.

Acid rain damaged more than half of Germany's forests and has caused extensive damaged to maple trees in Canada and New England.

Acid rain moves hundreds of miles in wind streams. Half of the acid rain in Canada come from the US.

According to an EPA study, acid rain accounts for $6 billion damage to building, statues and monuments each year in just 17 eastern and Midwestern states.

"Acid rain poses a direct threat to our entire nation, not just to Canada or New England as we once believed. Acid deposition falls on North Carolina's mountains, Florida's lakes, Colorado's parks, Indiana's towns. It has corroded the Statue of Liberty, acidified Pennsylvania's trout streams, and damaged Vermont's maple trees. But most importantly, acid rain poses a clear and present danger to our lungs - and to our children's lungs."

- Michael Fischer, Sierra Club executive director