MW
Ecology
ACID
RAIN
By
Dale
Johnson
In
the
past
few
decades
the
acid
content
of
rain
and
snow
has
risen
dramatically
over
large
regions
of
the
world,
the
increased
acid
precipitation
is
a
direct
result
of
increased
industrial
activity.
The
combustion
of
fossil
fuels
and
the
smelting
of
sulfide
ores
releases
large
quantities
of
sulfur
and
nitrogen
oxides
into
the
atmosphere.
Once
in
the
atmosphere
the
oxides
are
converted
into
sulfuric
and
nitric
acids
by
natural
processes.
The
acids
can
significantly
increase
the
acidity
of
natural
precipitation.
At
normal
atmospheric
levels
the
pH
or
acid
content
(low
pH
numbers
correspond
to
high
acid
content)
of
rain
and
snow
has
a
value
ranging
from
pH
6
to
pH
5.6.
Acid
precipitation
is
defined
as
rain
or
snow
that
has
a
pH
value
below
5.6
and
has
been
known
to
exist
in
the
vicinity
of
large
cities
and
industrial
plants
for
many
decades.
"Acid
rain"
has
now
become
a
widespread
regional
problem.
In
large
areas
of
southeastern
Canada,
the
eastern
U.S.
and
western
Europe,
the
average
pH
of
annual
precipitation
ranges
from
about
4
to
4.5.
Typical
summer
and
winter
values
for
the
northeastern
U.S.
are
3.5
and
4.2
respectively.
The
record
low
pH
value
reported
for
an
individual
storm
is
2.4
(the
acidic
equivalent
of
vinegar),
recorded
at
Pitlochry,
Scotland
in
1974.
In
the
same
month
values
of
2.7
and
3.5
were
recorded
respectively
in
Norway
and
Iceland.
It
is
interesting
to
note
that
fish
can
not
survive
in
water
where
the
long
term
average
pH
is
below
4.3.
What
effect
will
acid
rain
have
on
the
BE
A
NEW
DAWN
MODEL
OR
LOOK
LIKE
ONE
See
Us
About
Christmas
Gift
Certificates
School
Hours
12
to
8
Cathy
Share
DIRECTOR
PRO
SELF
IMPROVEMENT
PRO
MODELING
PRO
PHOTO
MODELING
MALE
MODELING
MAKEUP
F&jjfSmfcE
NEW
DAWN
MODEL
Susan
Kermode
Scnmm
Prince
George's
Only
Lie
Modeling
Trade
School
393
George
St.
562-1838
A
philosophy
of
life
which
involves
no
sacrifice
turns
out
in
the
end
to
be
merely
an
excuse
for
being
the
sort
of
person
one
is.
T.S.
ELIOT
Canadian
environment?
At
the
moment
the
picture
is
not
perfectly
clear.
To
gain
some
insight
into
the
future
effects
of
acid
rain
we
must
look
to
Sweden
and
Norway,
where
industry
has
been
present
for
a
much
longer
period
of
time
than
in
the
U.S
and
Canada.
In
Norway
alone
there
are
an
estimated
5000
lakes
that
are
completely
DEAD
due
to
the
effects
of
acid
rain.
Massive
amounts
of
limestone
are
being
dumped
into
the
acidified
lakes
in
an
effort
to
bring
the
acid
content
down
to
acceptable
levels.
This
plan
may
be
doomed
to
dismal
failure
as
long
as
European
industry
continues
to
release
the
enormous
amounts
of
sulfur
and
nitric
oxides
that
it
currently
emits
into
the
atmosphere.
Canada
is
headed
down
the
same
path
as
Norway,
the
Inco
copper-nickel
smelter
at
Sudbury
currently
accounts
for
some
1
percent
of
the
total
annual
emmissions
of
sulfur
throughout
the
world
(from
both
natural
sources
and
human
activity).
During
the
past
ten
years
the
emmissions
of
sulfur
from
Sudbury
alone
hae
about
equalled
the
amount
thought
to
have
been
emmitted
by
all
the
volcanoes
of
the
world.
It
appears
unlikely
that
the
burning
of
fossil
fuels
will
decrease
over
the
next
30
years.
It
is
more
likely
to
increase
due
to
the
increased
reliance
on
coal
as
a
replacement
for
oil
In
Ontario
a
few
lakes
are
already
acidified
past
the
point
capable
of
sustaining
animal
life.
Many
more
are
near
the
point
of
no
return.
Clearly,
some
dramatic
measures
must
be
implemented
to
prevent
acid
rain
from
turning
our
waterways
into
sterile,
lifeless
acid
baths,
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Short
On
POLITICS
Clark's
Confusion
byN.
K.
Parker
If
any
of
the
Canadian
electorate
were
naive
enough
to
believe
campaign
promises
would
be
fulfilled,
Clark's
confusion
will
have
cured
them
by
now.
It
is
difficult
to
say
what
the
Conservative
policy
(if
indeed
they
have
one)
will
be
from
one
moment
to
the
next.
Obvious
examples,
such
as
the
embassy
move,
lawless
R.C.M.P.
and
the
search
for
someone
to
buy
Petrocan,
come
to
mind
when
trying
to
access
the
Tories
"accomplishments."
Although
they
have
not
been
in
office
long,
it
has
been
long
enough
for
them
to
do
complete
back-flips
on
numerous
issues.
If
you
can
remember
as
far
back
as
election
night
you
may
recall
the
slogan,
"We'll
get
Canada
working
again."
Doesn't
this
seem
just
the
tiniest
bit
inconsistent
with
a
plan
to
lay-off
thousands
of
civil
servants?
Or
how
about
mortgage
deductability
plans
to
stimulate
the
construction
industry
while
raising
interest
rates
three
percent.
Another
side
effect
of
higher
interest
rates
is
to
add
to
inflation
while
at
the
same
time
shrinking
the
job
market
by
decreasing
the
incentive
to
invest
in
business.
Yet
this
seems
to
be
what
"stimulating
the
economy"
means
to
the
new
Government.
So
it
seems
to
me
amid
all
the
political
clap-trap,
the
only
thing
Clark
really
intends
to
do
is
try
to
hold
onto
power
as
long
as
he
can;
but
what
he'll
do
with
that
power
is
anybody's
guess.
BuT
SoMEThiNS
BOTHERED
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The
organiz
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