# whatever happened to acid rain? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 12, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-acid-rain/325925 "2005-10-12T18:18:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-acid-rain/325925/1 "2005-10-12T18:18:45Z")
About 20 years ago, acid rain was the big buzzword. (kind of like global warming is today). But it seems to have disappeared from public discussion. What happened? And why? (but remember, this is GQ, not the Pit) ---
**Author:** ![Visceral](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/977dab/32.png) [@Visceral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Visceral)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-acid-rain/325925/2 "2005-10-12T18:24:23Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > About 20 years ago, acid rain was the big buzzword. (kind of like global warming is today). > But it seems to have disappeared from public discussion. What happened? > And why? (but remember, this is GQ, not the Pit) It’s still falling. I googled and got lots of info that would be a real waste of my time cutting and pasting to here. Best if you google yourself. Seems like it’s still a problem in Canada, US and Europe. I haven’t heard of it being a problem in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-acid-rain/325925/3 "2005-10-12T18:48:35Z")
In the northeast U.S. we know it well today. It etches the paint on our cars, affects crop output, and alters the eco system. ---
**Author:** ![Earthworm\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f07891/32.png) [@Earthworm\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthworm_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-acid-rain/325925/4 "2005-10-12T18:52:08Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > In the northeast U.S. we know it well today. It etches the paint on our cars, affects crop output, and alters the eco system. We do? I’ve been here 5 (MA & NH) and this thread is the first I can recall harding of it during that time. Then again, I don’t get out much 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-acid-rain/325925/5 "2005-10-12T18:52:14Z")
Here is some info and map confirming that it is a NE problem in the U.S. [http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/acidrain/2.html](http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/acidrain/2.html) Google ‘acid rain’ and read up on it from the EPA, too. ---
**Author:** ![Earthworm\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f07891/32.png) [@Earthworm\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthworm_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-acid-rain/325925/6 "2005-10-12T18:53:32Z")
5 **years** , that is. I’ve been here 5 years. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-acid-rain/325925/7 "2005-10-12T18:58:43Z")
Its still a severe problem in the former soviet union, especially near some copper-smelting factories. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-acid-rain/325925/8 "2005-10-12T19:02:12Z")
I used to hear about it every time Al D’Amato ran for office. He would promise to crack down on polluters in other states, which is kind of like promising to balance the budget by taxing all foreigners living abroad. One of the reasons it’s not in the news so much, I’m guessing, is that a lot of the factories that were causing it have gone idle in the past 20 years. That’s not to say it’s gone, though.