Period 4; Fourth Draft; Kenzie, Nick, Alyssa, Praneeth

Dear Mr. President,

I am writing this letter to you today on behalf of my forest, my fellow Sasquatches, and most importantly, myself.Acid rain is becoming a major issue in my neck of the woods. It's killing the trees, it's killing the fish - it's killing almost everything! In my opinion, the killing of trees is the worst part. How am I supposed to hide from all these tourists that come here every single day if there aren't any trees? I can't just keep scaring people off all the time. It's bad enough that some people already know I exist; we don't need the whole world knowing it, too.

I think you know what the main cause of acid rain is, because I know you are a very smart man. But just in case you don't know, I will tell you. Acid rain is caused by emissions of acid anhydrides such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides given off by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. These substances pollute our atmosphere. Then, when it rains, these anhydrides react with the rain water to produce an acidic solution.

When acid rain is created, it does some serious damage. It raises the acidity of lakes, causing many types of plankton and other small organisms to die. These tiny organisms aren't the only ones affected by acid rain - all aquatic life, including the fish, can die out! Acid rain leaches aluminum from the soil which seeps into bodies of water and can poison the aquatic life. If the fish die what are my friends, the eagles and bears, going to eat? The answer is nothing. Sure, bears can eat other things like berries, but guess what? Acid rain kills plants and trees too! This is caused by the depletion of calcium in the soil that the plants and trees really need to survive. If these plants and trees are gone, the food chains will be corrupted and cause my whole ecosystem to be destroyed. So, what am I supposed to eat when the largest organisms begin to die out? I'll tell you what! I could start eating people! And I know, Mr. President, that you do not want me to start eating people.

It isn’t only the forest that is damaged by acid rain but the human world is as well. Acid rain can erode buildings and cause permanent damage to monuments. Repairing these damages would cost money that could be spent more efficiently. Acid rain can also have an effect on human health. When sulfur and nitrogen oxides are released into the air, they react with the atmospheric gases which people inhale. These new compounds can damage people’s lungs, especially humans suffering from asthma.

There are many simple precautions your race can take to prevent acid rain from damaging my wonderful forests. For starters, I think you can pass more laws to restrict the emissions of gases such as NO2 and SO3. I know your government passed the Clean Air Act a while ago, and it has helped. However, over the past few years the damages of acid rain have really increased. I think it is time for you to step in and say, "Hey! I believe that we need to extend our efforts to minimize acid rain as much as possible!" And then follow through with it! Because let me tell you something right now, Mr. President. If you don’t take any action to put an end to acid rain, then you will probably be the first to be eaten. And trust me; I know how to get past all of your fancy security.

Sincerely,
King Sasquatch