I am in Ondo, i think its smog, the visibility is damm poor and there are some other element of cold in it, but its strange

PLease please please , we shoul avoid using ignorance to put fear into people,

Naija is not industrialised enuf 4 SMOG ocurrence, except for some few areas, & cant b dat bad 2 cova da whole of naija

4 we in da north, dis is kinda common, except it doesnt go on 4 mor dan a day usually

PLEASE DIS IS MERELY STRONG SAHARA DESERT WINDS!!!,


ALSO READ BELOW, 4 FURTHER DETAILS





By Abiose Adelaja


March 23, 2010 01:34AM
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A Meteorologist has said the hazy weather currently observed around Lagos and some South-western states in the last few days is due to an unusual dust storm from the Sahara desert.

This haziness observed since Saturday, has led to the cancellation of several flights and could also lead to a rise in upper respiratory disease such as catarrh, cold and flu. The meteorologists advised people not to panic as it was normal for such to occur.

The hazy weather stemmed from a mixture of the dust haze blowing from the Sahara Desert through the north eastern part of Nigeria to Lagos and other south western states, explained Modupe Ogunwale, director of Research and Training at the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.

Climate change is here

Coincidentally, the rain which occurred on Friday (March 19) trapped the dust particles, thus causing the humidity, she said.

“This is unusual because this kind of dust storms usually occur around November/December; for it to occur in March means it is part of the climate change we are talking about.” She however said the situation may remain for a couple of more days as another dust storm was recorded in the Sahara on Sunday.

John Babatunde, a medical doctor advised residents to wear clothes that are warm as respiratory diseases are bound to be common at this time. He, especially advised parents to ensure that their wards are well dressed and covered up to prevent flu attacks.

Already Lagosians have been worried about the changing weather and especially about a phenomenon called acid rain. To this effect a text message has been circulating round town that there may be an acid rain between 20-28 March and that people should beware as the rain may cause skin cancer.

Mrs. Ogunwale, however, dispels this fear. “It is not acid rain. It is because of this dust haze that we are having this kind of rain. It is not pure rain because it traps a lot of dust particles and since people collect rain water for drinking and other uses, they are advised not to drink or use this kind of rain.” The United States Environmental Protection Agency, says acid rain occurs when gases such as sulphuric acid and nitric acid react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form various acidic compounds.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/5544519-146/sahara_dust_storm_linked_to_hazy.csp

The fog/smog we are experiencing in Nigeria presently is as a result of adversion, as seun has said, the upper air is hotter than the lower air, this is preventing the dust suspended in the air from moving up. The immediate effect of this is on people with respiratory problems, i advice they stay indoor, also if the condition persist in your area, this can lead to episode, a situation which prevent the movement of polluted air prom a particular area, it has kill many in UK before, i think our Government should learn from this. Just dont allow ur kids outside for long if is not compulsory.

its d end of the world as we know it.
n the roaches shall rule the world.the dinosaurs had their time,we humans av had ours now its up to those sleazy n resilient bugs to continue life on the planet as the dominant specie
im importing a truck load of gas mask,gat to cash in on d climate change.

0hsisi:

Na judgement day
men make una check una balls
I'm sure it will be shrinking right before your eyes until it vanishes to oblivion.

buttHole!

sleak:

its d end of the world as we know it.
n the roaches shall rule the world.the dinosaurs had their time,we humans av had ours now its up to those sleazy n resilient bugs to continue life on the planet as the dominant specie
im importing a truck load of gas mask,gat to cash in on d climate change.

junkie!

anyways my take on this ish is going to sound like a doom's day prophet, the weather will be terrible all year, the seasons will come in a destabilized manner and at insane extremes and if all goes according to that charade (the mini-quakes, tsunamis and other natural disasters) then maybe the mayans were telling the truth after-all!

I am still wondering wat it was, cause our Nigerian weather forecasters are not updating us.

What is Acid Rain and What Causes It?

"Acid rain" is a broad term used to describe several ways that acids fall out of the atmosphere. A more precise term is acid deposition, which has two parts: wet and dry.

Wet deposition refers to acidic rain, fog, and snow. As this acidic water flows over and through the ground, it affects a variety of plants and animals. The strength of the effects depend on many factors, including how acidic the water is, the chemistry and buffering capacity of the soils involved, and the types of fish, trees, and other living things that rely on the water.

Dry deposition refers to acidic gases and particles. About half of the acidity in the atmosphere falls back to earth through dry deposition. The wind blows these acidic particles and gases onto buildings, cars, homes, and trees. Dry deposited gases and particles can also be washed from trees and other surfaces by rainstorms. When that happens, the runoff water adds those acids to the acid rain, making the combination more acidic than the falling rain alone.

Prevailing winds blow the compounds that cause both wet and dry acid deposition across state and national borders, and sometimes over hundreds of miles. Scientists discovered, and have confirmed, that sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are the primary causes of acid rain. In the US, About 2/3 of all SO2 and 1/4 of all NOx comes from electric power generation that relies on burning fossil fuels like coal.

Acid rain occurs when these gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form various acidic compounds. Sunlight increases the rate of most of these reactions. The result is a mild solution of sulfuric acid and nitric acid.

How Do We Measure Acid Rain?

Acid rain is measured using a scale called "pH." The lower a substance's pH, the more acidic it is. Pure water has a pH of 7.0. Normal rain is slightly acidic because carbon dioxide dissolves into it, so it has a pH of about 5.5. As of the year 2000, the most acidic rain falling in the US has a pH of about 4.3.

Acid rain's pH, and the chemicals that cause acid rain, are monitored by two networks, both supported by EPA. The National Atmospheric Deposition Program measures wet deposition, and its Web site features maps of rainfall pH (follow the link to the isopleth maps) and other important precipitation chemistry measurements.

The Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET) measures dry deposition. Its web site features information about the data it collects, the measuring sites, and the kinds of equipment it uses.

Effects of Acid Rain

Acid rain causes acidification of lakes and streams and contributes to damage of trees at high elevations (for example, red spruce trees above 2,000 feet) and many sensitive forest soils. In addition, acid rain accelerates the decay of building materials and paints, including irreplaceable buildings, statues, and sculptures that are part of our nation's cultural heritage. Prior to falling to the earth, SO2 and NOx gases and their particulate matter derivatives, sulfates and nitrates, contribute to visibility degradation and harm public health.

What Society Can Do About Acid Deposition

There are several ways to reduce acid deposition, more properly called acid deposition, ranging from societal changes to individual action.

Understand acid deposition's causes and effects

To understand acid deposition's causes and effects and track changes in the environment, scientists from EPA, state governments, and academic study acidification processes. They collect air and water samples and measure them for various characteristics like pH and chemical composition, and they research the effects of acid deposition on human-made materials such as marble and bronze. Finally, scientists work to understand the effects of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) - the pollutants that cause acid deposition and fine particles - on human health.

To solve the acid rain problem, people need to understand how acid rain causes damage to the environment. They also need to understand what changes could be made to the air pollution sources that cause the problem. The answers to these questions help leaders make better decisions about how to control air pollution and therefore how to reduce - or even eliminate - acid rain. Since there are many solutions to the acid rain problem, leaders have a choice of which options or combination of options are best. The next section describes some of the steps that can be taken to reduce, or even eliminate, the acid deposition problem.

Clean up smokestacks and exhaust pipes

Almost all of the electricity that powers modern life comes from burning fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, and oil. acid deposition is caused by two pollutants that are released into the atmosphere, or emitted, when these fuels are burned: sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).

Coal accounts for most US sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions and a large portion of NOx emissions. Sulfur is present in coal as an impurity, and it reacts with air when the coal is burned to form SO2. In contrast, NOx is formed when any fossil fuel is burned.

There are several options for reducing SO2 emissions, including using coal containing less sulfur, washing the coal, and using devices called scrubbers to chemically remove the SO2 from the gases leaving the smokestack. Power plants can also switch fuels; for example burning natural gas creates much less SO2 than burning coal. Certain approaches will also have additional benefits of reducing other pollutants such as mercury and carbon dioxide. Understanding these "co-benefits" has become important in seeking cost-effective air pollution reduction strategies. Finally, power plants can use technologies that don't burn fossil fuels. Each of these options has its own costs and benefits, however; there is no single universal solution.

Similar to scrubbers on power plants, catalytic converters reduce NOx emissions from cars. These devices have been required for over twenty years in the US, and it is important to keep them working properly and tailpipe restrictions have been tightened recently. EPA has also made, and continues to make, changes to gasoline that allows it to burn cleaner.

Use alternative energy sources

There are other sources of electricity besides fossil fuels. They include: nuclear power, hydropower, wind energy, geothermal energy, and solar energy. Of these, nuclear and hydropower are used most widely; wind, solar, and geothermal energy have not yet been harnessed on a large scale in this country.

There are also alternative energies available to power automobiles, including natural gas powered vehicles, battery-powered cars, fuel cells, and combinations of alternative and gasoline powered vehicles.

All sources of energy have environmental costs as well as benefits. Some types of energy are more expensive to produce than others, which means that not all Americans can afford all types of energy. Nuclear power, hydropower, and coal are the cheapest forms today, but changes in technologies and environmental regulations may shift that in the future. All of these factors must be weighed when deciding which energy source to use today and which to invest in for tomorrow.

Restore a damaged environment

Acid deposition penetrates deeply into the fabric of an ecosystem, changing the chemistry of the soil as well as the chemistry of the streams and narrowing, sometimes to nothing, the space where certain plants and animals can survive. Because there are so many changes, it takes many years for ecosystems to recover from acid deposition, even after emissions are reduced and the rain becomes normal again. For example, while the visibility might improve within days, and small or episodic chemical changes in streams improve within months, chronically acidified lakes, streams, forests, and soils can take years to decades or even centuries (in the case of soils) to heal.

However, there are some things that people do to bring back lakes and streams more quickly. Limestone or lime (a naturally-occurring basic compound) can be added to acidic lakes to "cancel out" the acidity. This process, called liming, has been used extensively in Norway and Sweden but is not used very often in the United States. Liming tends to be expensive, has to be done repeatedly to keep the water from returning to its acidic condition, and is considered a short-term remedy in only specific areas rather than an effort to reduce or prevent pollution. Furthermore, it does not solve the broader problems of changes in soil chemistry and forest health in the watershed, and does nothing to address visibility reductions, materials damage, and risk to human health. However, liming does often permit fish to remain in a lake, so it allows the native population to survive in place until emissions reductions reduce the amount of acid deposition in the area.

Look to the future

As emissions from the largest known sources of acid deposition - power plants and automobiles-are reduced, EPA scientists and their colleagues must assess the reductions to make sure they are achieving the results Congress anticipated. If these assessments show that acid deposition is still harming the environment, Congress may begin to consider additional ways to reduce emissions that cause acid deposition. They may consider additional emissions reductions from sources that have already been controlled, or methods to reduce emissions from other sources. They may also invest in energy efficiency and alternative energy. The cutting edge of protecting the environment from acid deposition will continue to develop and implement cost-effective mechanisms to cut emissions and reduce their impact on the environment.

Take action as individuals

It may seem like there is not much that one individual can do to stop acid deposition. However, like many environmental problems, acid deposition is caused by the cumulative actions of millions of individual people. Therefore, each individual can also reduce their contribution to the problem and become part of the solution. One of the first steps is to understand the problem and its solutions.

Individuals can contribute directly by conserving energy, since energy production causes the largest portion of the acid deposition problem. For example, you can:
Turn off lights, computers, and other appliances when you're not using them
Use energy efficient appliances: lighting, air conditioners, heaters, refrigerators, washing machines, etc.
Only use electric appliances when you need them.
Keep your thermostat at 68 F in the winter and 72 F in the summer. You can turn it even lower in the winter and higher in the summer when you are away from home.
Insulate your home as best you can.
Carpool, use public transportation, or better yet, walk or bicycle whenever possible
Buy vehicles with low NOx emissions, and maintain all vehicles well.
Be well-informed.

http://www.policyalmanac.org/environment/archive/acid_rain.shtml

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kemisuga:

I am still wondering wat it was, cause our Nigerian weather forecasters are not updating us.

I don't think those forecast are workin

there is a romoure in warri that the rain (acid rain) will bring cancer and dieases

actually there was a sand storm in maiduguri n the northern wind is spreading it to lagos too

sand storm from d north?that does it, naija must separate now into north n south we'll den erect a gigiantic wall between us to prevent northern sandstorm from coming to d south n causing people to have dry bleeding nose n skin, grey hair n eye lashes from dust n causing acid rain that causes skin cancer n shrinking nutts n brain n breast obliteration, will b rite back

@All,
For those who are asthmatic, you are adviced to stay INDOORS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE,
those that have kids(especially) 6yrs and below,do not expose them to this terrible weather as it affects their mental state and frame of mind, I'm not joking, i've seen it in my son and the neighbour's kids.
May God be with us all.

at agidingbi here in lagos,the smog is really bad,visibility is at abt 30ft or less.i don't think this is harmattan cos it hotter and the dust is really pronounced.even with the ac,the dust and smell seems to get thru, abt this acid rain thing,any ideas as to the precise time this will occur? don't want to get bathed.

Read this news from THE WILL, it is a clarification of the acid rain scare by NASA.
Nigerians, please dont just believe everything you hear, seek for clarification first.

http://thewillnigeria.com/index.php?news=3976

freshp:

@All,
For those who are asthmatic, you are adviced to stay INDOORS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE,
those that have kids(especially) 6yrs and below,do not expose them to this terrible weather as it affects their mental state and frame of mind, I'm not joking, i've seen it in my son and the neighbour's kids.
May God be with us all.

God bless you for this.
I thot I had outgrown asthma but this dust atmosphere gave me an attack, I was shocked. All asthmatics should try as much as possible to avoid the dust, wear face masks if possible

dats why im brnging in a truck load of gas masks.send ur details so i can get one to u.
hope u r better now following d attack.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN;

[size=8pt]THE END IS NEAR!!!!!!!!!![/size]