Acid Rain

Acid rain was thought to be a European problem ten years ago. The loss of fish populations in eastern portions of Canada and the United States showed that damaging acid rain was more widespread. So far, there is not much acid rain in Alaska and northwestern Canada, but the Rocky Mountain states and even the West Coast from Washington State southward are beginning to see some signs.

The worst American locality seems to be the Ohio Valley. Rain more acidic than vinegar, actually nearly as acidic as stomach acid, has fallen there. Besides killing fish, acid rain can cause soil to lose quickly the valuable plant nutrients that have built up over the ages. Thus its effects can be very serious and long-lasting.

The Geophysical Institute's Dr. Glenn Shaw voices concern that as industrialization spreads northward through Canada, Alaska and Siberia, the accompanying increased ejection of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide will cause more acidic rain and snowfall in the north. This is something to think about as we develop greater usage of the huge coal deposits available in Alaska. As we use this coal, large investments in air pollution control devices may be necessary to preserve our water, fish, soil and clear sky.