Acid rain: the bitter dilemma

Journal Article · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980 · Carol. Tips; (United States)

OSTI ID:5326861

Angyal, J

The story of acid rain serves to illustrate the fundamental conflicts that keep mankind trapped in the downward spiral of environmental deterioration. These conflicts are of two kinds. The first clash occurs between the need for immediate action and the need for complete scientific information to guide that action. Paradoxically, action without knowledge may be catastrophic, but waiting to act until we know everything may be catastrophic, too. For example, two or three decades ago industry began building taller smokestacks to alleviate local air pollution. This solution worked, but it contributed to the regional problem of acid rain. Today, acid rain is damaging lakes and forests, but, because its causes and effects are incompletely understood, the best course of action is unclear. By the time the problem is fully understood, however, the damage may be irreversible. The second dilemma involves a conflict between apparently incompatible values: pollution is usually the unfortunate side effect of some activity which truly benefits society. Coal contributes more heavily to the acid rain problem than does oil; but burning coal affords the political independence of using domestic fossil fuel reserves. Controlling sulfur emissions, whether by burning expensive foreign oil or by applying technology to the combustion of coal, is expensive. Inevitably, the costs are borne by the taxpayer and the consumer. But in the long run, may not pollution itself be more expensive.

• Research Organization: Carolina Biological Supply Co., Burlington, NC
• OSTI ID: 5326861
• Journal Information: Carol. Tips; (United States), Journal Name: Carol. Tips; (United States) Vol. 43:9; ISSN CTIPB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID RAIN
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CONTROL
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FORESTS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
LAKES
NONMETALS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLLUTION SOURCES
RAIN
SULFUR
SURFACE WATERS