When was the last time someone saw a news article or news report on *acid rain*?

Question

Is the news media covering this pollution problem which, by the way, antedates the global warming/climate change problems going back to the 1960's? TWH 05262007

Engineer, I don't see *acid rain* in the headline!

darctangentia you posted a link to a subject that did not raise the subject of interest which is *acid rain* The wikipedia entry does not mention acid rain at all. Do a find word search and you will see. Posting a link is not an answer of any merit if you make no effort to scan the link first and then summarize it's connection with the Q. This form of *answer* is worthless esp if it has no direct connection to the topic of the Q. Please try to do better. Ask more than the 9 Q's that appear on your homepage. It will help sharpen your understanding of point of the Q's you attempt to answer.

messing with our buildings? How about the effect on our lungs and the lungs of all air-breathing life forms. It probably aggravates asthma and it is still a problem since the fossil fuels we burn for power are increasing in sulfur content as lower sulfer coals and crude oils are getting scarcer. TWH 05312007-3

darctangentia, fight the urge to become cynical--I feel alot like you have, but I try my best not to resign myself to the stupidity and ignorance I come across participating at YA. My Q poped into my head thinking about Rachel Carson whose birthday was 100 years ago 05301907. She had it alot harder than you or I do and we should show the courage she had addressing the stupidity of a culture that destroys the environment unwittingly by bad science.
Peace TWH 05312007-4

Engineer provides important historical perspective. Thanks

Answer 1

You're right. The campaigning by environmentalists in the 70s lead to the clean air act and numerous international agreements including a Cap and Trade system for the principle pollutant responsible - SO2.

As a result acid rain is greatly reduced in the West and appears less often in the news. You will still find it mentioned in general pollution stories, however, and in stories about the pollution generated by India and China, as they have yet to fully implement their pollution reduction legislative programmes.

So, given the success of the regulatory efforts to limit SO2 emissions in the West, I am certain you will be all in favour of applying the same model to remaining pollution concerns - CO2, CH4 and NO.

I look forward to seeing your campaign efforts.

Answer 2

Ahh yes. First do not take it personal that I chose to answer your question with an irrelevant link, I have done that for numerous questions. If you've taken the initiative to scour my list of worthless answers then no doubt you've noticed the influx of equally worthless questions regarding Global Warming. I have really had it with people asking what it is before reading the 162 other same questions the Global Warming Category where people have answered it. What's more disturbing is all the preconceived notions that people have about GW before actually doing research on it. I do apologize if your legitimate question got caught in the middle of my little tirade of a message but you do have to realize a guy can only answer so many "Do cow farts create global warming?" or "What more important, Polar bears or people?" questions before it becomes overwhelmingly clear that no one knows what the hell they're talking about, so I recommended them a starting point.

In response to your original question it's been a while, since grade school science class that I've heard anything about acid rain. Yes it is a problem that is not receiving media attention probably because it is a fad. Politicians are always going to milk a crisis for what its worth before moving on to something that will get them more votes. When was the last time we heard about mad cow, avian flu, or Darfur? Political agenda will never agree with scientific agenda and health unless there is profit to be made. For God's sake the cure for freakin' cancer's been discovered but no media attention is being given because the cure is so easily obtained and is not marketable. But I digress.

Even if environmental issues receive some attention, it is more likely to be global warming since its all the rage now. I mean personally I see that as being more damaging in the long run.

Answer 3

The problem of 'acid rain' is a far less serious issue than it used to be. Humans realised the problems that were being caused and took steps to reduce the impact.

I'll explain in more detail...

'Acid rain' is caused by the acidification of precipitation (not necessarily rain) due primarily to the emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. In the atmosphere these gas particles are chemically transformed (equilibrium hydrolysis) and form the nucleii around which water droplets form and subsequently fall as 'wet acid precipitation'. The alternative being 'dry acid precipitation' which falls as dust - same effect just a different delivery mechanism.

Because of the negative impact of 'acid rain', legislation has been past and voluntary codes drawn up which have dramiatically reduced the levels of emissions causing acid rain. One of the main emitters of these gases were power plants, many now have FGD's installed (flue gas desulphurisers) to remove the harmful gases from the emissions. Two important treaties are the Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution and the Sulphur Emissions Reduction Protocol.

Answer 4

Interesting point. It has become less of a "big problem" in our country, because of the attention it received decades ago and the response with legislation and by industries (though we still see problems in parts of the east coast). You will hear more about it in places like China and South America, where more development and use of coal technologies is proliferating without the environmental controls in place.

Answer 5

Today (see first link).

Oh by the way CO2 levels were first discovered to be rising in the 1930's. Global warming due to human CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels was first predicted by Svante Arrhenius 1896 when he published the paper "On the influence of carbonic acid in the air upon the temperature of the ground." (second link)

So actually global warming well predates acid rain as a known issue.

Answer 6

Well now and then it pops up, not so much because of it being a climate change contributor, but more for what it's doing to old buildings and artwork, especially in Europe.

I do recall seeing something about it in China though.

So it's not as prevalent, but it's still there, and messing with our buildings.

Answer 7

I don't recall ... It must have stopped raining acid or they would be reporting it right? Meanwhile 10 years later on Y/A someone asks ... When was the last time you seen a article on "Global warming" ? lol

Answer 8

I haven't seen it in the headlines in a while

Answer 9

a long time ago bro dough low show mow pro crow bow joe toe row sew bow know

Answer 10

That is a good question . . . I can't remember the last time.