Why Don't We Hear Much About Acid Rain Anymore?

In the 1980s and parts of the 1990s, it was almost impossible to open newspapers or watch TV news programs without reading or listening to acid rain and its harmful effects on the environment. People throughout the United States, especially those in the northeast, were concerned about the long-term effects of this recently discovered issue.

Now, you may be wondering what happened to this problem decades after the first warning reached American consciousness. We rarely read or listen. Has acid rain “solved?” Is the threat no longer present? Or did other current issues like global warming overtake acid rain in the public's minds?

According to Nina Shen Rastogi, slate “The parliament never gave up amendments to the Air Pollution Control Act and called for drastically reducing the types of emissions that could lead to rain,” the acid rain problem fell from the radar. It was 1990.

Since then, "emissions have decreased significantly," Mr. Lastgi wrote. However, the issue is not fully resolved. According to Rastogi, the environment has improved in many areas heavily affected by acid rain, but some areas, especially in the northeast, have not yet recovered.

As a result, global climate change has gained media attention over the last 10 and a half years, but there are still efforts to ensure that the region is recovering.

But rain is one of the things that tell us. That is how government and industry work together to address serious environmental problems. Global climate change is a much bigger problem and is at risk. Nevertheless, the issue of acid rain should provide the incentive and confidence that it can positively affect issues related to global climate change.