The OTA's Acid Rain and Transported Pollutants (June 1984, $9.50 from US GPO, Wash. DC 20402, stock no. 052-003-00956-1) evades the basic dilemma (why was there no acid rain in the 1950s when coal consumption was greater than, or equal to today's?), and in its risk analysis
¾ delay vs. vast and possibly ineffective outlays¾it fails to mention that both can be evaded by going nuclear; but it is (fairly) careful not to pinpoint an explicit causal relationship to coal, does not ignore automobile traffic as a possible source, and warns that the report is full of "coulds" and "mights." It is a good collection of data, but the correlations should not be misinterpreted as cause-effect relationships.The possible connection of acid rain with acidic volcanic eruptions [AtE Jul 84] has been investigated by five scientists who used carbon dating to trace the eruptions of the "acidic" volcano El Chicon, Mexico. They established a correspondence with the historic record of acidity in the Greenland ice sheet (and other historic data). The two peak together in about 1300 A.D. and possibly also in 623 A.D. ("Holocene Eruptive Activity of El Chicon Volcano" by R. I. Tilling, M. Rubin and others, Science, 18 May 84, pp.747-749.)
Such investigations, however, have become obsolete and superfluous, for the definite solution of the problem has now been found. "Regardless of the documented scientific data," writes Sen. Alfonse M. D'Amato (R-NY) to his constituents [my italics], "I have found the effects of acid rain obviously detrimental... I am cosponsoring a bill, S. 2001, to tax large plants and factories according to how much of this pollution they emit..."
D'Amato is considered a conservative Republican, as is the author of the following memorandum:
[To] G.P. Shultz, Secretary of State June 12, 1984
"Pursuant to the authority vested in me by... the Arms Export Control Act, I hereby find that the furnishing of defense articles and services to the Government of China will strengthen the security of the United States and promote world peace.
(Signed) Ronald Reagan
[Fed. Reg. 17 July 1984, p. 28817]
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Vol. 12, No. 1
Newsletter: Access to Energy Newsletter Archive Volume: Issues Issue/No.: Vol. 12, No. 1 Date: November 29, 2004 12:25 PM Title: We have been here before
Copyright © 2004 - Access to Energy Newsletter Archive
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