Every gallon burned adds 20 pounds of carbon dioxide to the air. Even wasting water contributes to the greenhouse effect because of the energy it took to pump, purify and treat that water. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council , about 6 pounds of CO2 are emitted for every 1,000 gallons of water we use. Some of the rain that falls in the northeastern U.S. is nearly as acidic as lemon juice. In the Pacific Northwest, the rain and fog are not nearly as tart but still acid rain is an issue that concerns us as residents of the planet.
Electric utilities emit an estimated two-thirds of the nation's SOx.
The contributions from each power company depend on the fuels they burn and the pollution controls they use. The majority of power Seattle City Light generates is hydroelectric. City Light owns a small percentage of one coal plant but the coal the utility uses to generate electricity contains very low levels of sulfur. NOx emissions per individual car have been reduced sharply since the 1970s but the number of power plants and cars keeps growing. The SOx and NOx mix with water in clouds to form sulfuric and nitric acids, then fall back to earth in rain or snow, making lakes and streams too acidic for fish and other animals to survive.