Acid rain trip leading to ruined timber industry

You know how everything 1980s is coming back? So it is with acid rain, the rainwater laced with sulfur- and nitrogen-based acids that are formed by air pollution.

In the 1980s, the threat of acid rain helped spur to action environmental groups across the nation. But while greenies moved on to other battles, acid rain never went away. At least once a week since 1999, Georgia has gotten doused with rain that has the acidity of orange juice, according to a new report published by the Clean Air Task Force and the Georgia Airkeepers Campaign. And while OJ is great for mimosas, that much acid in rainwater can kill trout, frogs, crayfish and other aquatic life.

The study, called “Unfinished Business: Why the Acid Rain Problem is Not Solved,” also says that if laws aren’t strengthened, Georgia soil might not be able to support the state’s timber industry within 25 years. Acid rain affects soil quality, as well as leaf health, which in turn can curb tree growth.??






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