EARTH: Neutralizing the rain
2012-06-22
(Press-News.org) Alexandria, VA – In the 1980s, acid rain was a big topic of conversation. Everyone knew about it. Today, just a couple of decades later, it's all but been forgotten. Why and how did this happen?
As EARTH explores in the July issue, the problem of acid rain has largely been solved. The solution started with congressional amendments to the Clean Air Act in 1990 that called for government regulation of sulfur dioxide emissions, a known cause of acid rain. Two decades later, sulfur dioxide emissions have been halved and previously damaged waterways and forests have largely recovered. However, after much success in the battle against acid rain, challenges still remain.
With the sudden and successful reduction of sulfur dioxide, new players have emerged in the battle against acid rain, changing scientists' understanding of the nature of the problem. How will these new elements alter atmospheric cycling? Is continued monitoring necessary in the fight against acid rain? Read the story online at http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/neutralizing-rain-after-much-success-battle-against-acid-rain-challenges-remain
Read this story and more in the July issue of EARTH Magazine, available online now at http://www.earthmagazine.org. Tackle the five outstanding questions in earth science; avoid dangerous microbes at the beach; and learn what Congress is doing to fight threats to domestic infrastructure from sea-level rise all in this month's issue of EARTH.
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Keep up to date with the latest happenings in Earth, energy and environment news with EARTH magazine online at http://www.earthmagazine.org/. Published by the American Geosciences Institute, EARTH is your source for the science behind the headlines.
The American Geosciences Institute is a nonprofit federation of geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 250,000 geologists, geophysicists and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in the profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society's use of resources, resiliency to natural hazards, and interaction with the environment.
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[Press-News.org] EARTH: Neutralizing the rain
