Acid rain

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 28, 10 December 1984, Page 20

Acid rain

Recently we re-activated a small conservation group in Wanganui. We know that the conservation message has become widely spread but, unfortunately, so has world-wide pollution. Conservationists have to keep clamouring for action for niether industry, nor governments, nor John Citizen are willing to do anything about it — as is illustrated by the matter of acid rain. The facts have been known for several years. Acid rain occurs in all industrialised countries and is caused by nitrogen oxides (mainly from burning oil) and sulphur oxides (frorn burning coal) which form nitric and sulphuric acid when mixed with water. The resulting acid rain is catastrophic in its effect on the soil. In my view, acid rain has become the acid test for our whole technical civilisation. Everyone knows it exists; everyone knows it is devastating; no one does anything about it. The real solution lies in a switch to wind and solar power. This implies a drastic cut in wasteful consumption: Bicycles instead of motorcars, a radical cut-back of electrical appliances and huddling around a mean little stove in winter. This would certainly clean our

cluttered lives and create work in the long term. In the short term it would wreck the whole world economy and throw millions out of work. And what about us? Any acid rain here? The answer is no; what fumes we have, blow away over the ocean. Yet in New Zealand the bad effects of technology bear a resemblance to acid rain. Cars, petrol and all our imported gadgets are ultimately paid for with the

fertility of our soil. Fish and forests have to be exported, farmland becomes overworked and even the peatbogs in the Chathams will have to disappear into the maws of the motorcar. How can we convince New Zealanders that there is no such thing as an easy life? Nick Pyl Wanganui Friends of the Earth (Space considerations necessitated the shortening of this letter. Ed)