Stories and FolkloreCan a science person (I think they’re called #Scientists ) help me with a serious question please? Why don’t we hear about #AcidRain anymore? It was huge when I was a teen and now, nothing. Did we solve it? It seems like we did and maybe forgot to tell people?
Hteph@wihtlore One reason (here in Sweden) is that it more or less went away when the industries in East-Germany ceased to exists. The major component in the acid rain was the sulphur from the low quality coal they where using.
It was on the level that the farmers stopped to use sulphur in the fertilizer as all that was needed (and some) come through the rain.
Now-a-days they even started to put the sulphur back in the fertilizer I have heard.
It was on the level that the farmers stopped to use sulphur in the fertilizer as all that was needed (and some) come through the rain.
Now-a-days they even started to put the sulphur back in the fertilizer I have heard.
Sarah Glassmeyer@GoblinQuester that’s happening on America now - farmers are having to increase sulfur In fertilizer since not getting it from air pollution (source: I am a farmer’s daughter)
Virginicus@sglassmeyer @GoblinQuester Yes, I buy sulfur by the bag and lay it on thick every spring.
The Fortuna Guy@GoblinQuester
In all of Germany (Europe?) filters are now mandatory for energy plants. So that helped I think.
@wihtlore
In all of Germany (Europe?) filters are now mandatory for energy plants. So that helped I think.
@wihtlore
Erik@wihtlore If you like podcasts, here is a good episode on the subject! https://www.buzzsprout.com/1112270/3884006-acid-rain
Acid Rain - You're Wrong About
Mike tells Sarah how an environmental problem became a national rallying cry, a sticky diplomatic issue and, eventually, a conspiracy theory. Digressions include “Alien,” Field & Stream and NRA public service announcements. Both hosts are reco...
@bright_helpings thank you x
Jake 
@wihtlore
In the US we reduced emissions of precursors to acid rain a lot through regulation from the mid to early 70s onwards. You might hear about people stealing catalytic converters from cars and wonder what that part does. Well it makes the combustion products less harmful. Without it, a car can produce more nitrogen oxides. These combine with water to create nitric acid, one component of acid rain. We also more strictly control emissions of sulfur from industry and energy production. Less sulfur means less sulfuric acid. So in the US we reduced the problem to the point where there's not really a reason to campaign on it. It's still there but much less of an issue. Also, I'm not a scientist so if one of them pops they're head into the conversation they can probably correct me on the finer points.
In the US we reduced emissions of precursors to acid rain a lot through regulation from the mid to early 70s onwards. You might hear about people stealing catalytic converters from cars and wonder what that part does. Well it makes the combustion products less harmful. Without it, a car can produce more nitrogen oxides. These combine with water to create nitric acid, one component of acid rain. We also more strictly control emissions of sulfur from industry and energy production. Less sulfur means less sulfuric acid. So in the US we reduced the problem to the point where there's not really a reason to campaign on it. It's still there but much less of an issue. Also, I'm not a scientist so if one of them pops they're head into the conversation they can probably correct me on the finer points.
HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴I am not a natural scientist, but the answer can probably be (partially) found in this #German article:
The solution was the mass installation of flue gas #DesulphurisationPlants in the #PowerPlants of #Europe and #NorthAmerica.
https://www.igb-berlin.de/news/saurer-regen-war-gestern
The article reports about a scientific article that despite all this, #sulphate concentrations are still rising:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S001282522030492X?via%3Dihub
What is worse, I recently heard that the rate of dying forests in some...
...regions in #Europe had significantly accelerated in recent years.
Based on a #NationalGeographic article I've just found, 80% of e.g. #Germany's forests R sick.
Apparently not due to #AcidRain, but #ClimateChange:
Extended periods of warm/hot weather (#heat), #droughts, #ForestFires + #BarkBeetles.
(You can easily read the article in English, just copy & paste it into Word and select Translate Document. Also nice: Listen to Document).
mirabilosYes, utterly shocking.
Caper Bill 🍁@wihtlore Excellent question!! I believe this one is a case of environmental regulation that actually took hold and worked. Acid rain is caused by sulfur dioxide and similar compounds in emissions from burning coal. Most areas now require scrubbers and filters to address the issue.
@wihtlore I should add, not just coal, but that was a major driver. Acid rain was a big problem here in Eastern Canada, where we are downwind of NE US powerplants.