It exports over 650 million goods and services each year. The nuclear industry is an important part of the UK's science and technology base. A major source of CO2 emissions is the burning of fossil fuels - such as coal, oil and gas. Nuclear power stations emit negligible quantities of CO2. Acid rain usually refers to rain which has been made more acidic than normal because it has absorbed gases emitted by the burning of fossil fuels.
Acid rain can damage trees and reduce fish stocks in lakes and streams.
Nuclear power stations do not emit either NOx gases or SO2. The UK nuclear industry has a thorough safety strategy which identifies all the conditions which might lead to an accident, then sets up fail-safe systems and multiple barriers to combat them. The safety record of nuclear reactors in the UK is excellent. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food monitors the coastal environment. It was the world s first operational civil nuclear power station.