Iurreit Comments " Acid Flab. Part 1. What 1s H Ad What Does It Do?

Many issues of concern to scientists have a significant impact on the general public. Political, economic, and social issues often revolve around questions that can be resolved only through seienttitc inquiry. Such questions frequently arise from man’s use of technology. In previous essays we have reviewed issues in which th~ is the case, such as indoor workplace pollution and the benefhs and risks of new technologies.z One environmental issue that is currently attracting growing public attention is that of acid rain. This issue in particular is one in which technology and industrialization have produced at least part of the problem. While acid rain is causing growiug concern around the world, public perceptions of the problem vary. In the US, for example, much has been written about acid rain. However, according to John E. Carroll, associate professor of environmental conservation, University of New Hampshire, Durham, the general public seems relatively uninformed about the problems (p. xii; 2) In contrast, Europeans regard acid rain as one of the most important current political problems.q My purpose is to delineate the problem based on the current scienty~c evidence. But because important political, economic, and social issues are involved, it is also important to assess the public perception of the problem as indicated by the coverage given acid rain by the popular press. Since a search of the literature revealed that there is a large volume of information about acid rain, the essay is divided into two parts. Thk first part will consider a definition of the problem, sources of acid rain, and the effects on living organisms, ecosystems, and humans. We will also identify the core literature and the research fronts related to acid rain. Part 2 will address the global status of acid rain, how people perceive the problem, how human institutions react to it, and possible solutions to the problem. The literature on acid rain encompasses a wide variety of publications, including journal reports of scientific research, newspaper stories, transcripts of government hearings, and analyses of political and economic processes. Sources of information range from very specialized journals to the popular press. Robert H. Boyle, senior staff writer, Sports Illustmted, and R. Alexander Boyle, Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, have written a book that summarizes much of what has been written on acid rsin.s A larger, more detailed account of current knowledge is provided by Acid Deposition Phenomenon and Its Effects: Critical Assessment Review Papers, a two-volume work compiled by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).6 To some, the term “acid rain” conjures up an image of some terrible chemical catastrophe contrived by modem