Acid Rain: The 80s and 90s Eco-Baddie We Stopped Talking About
Ever wonder what happened to acid rain?
Remember the days when big hair and acid-wash jeans were all the rage?
Well, alongside these now iconic fashion statements, the 80s and 90s had another, less stylish trend: acid rain.
For those of us in Canada, acid rain wasn’t just a buzzword; it was a real environmental concern. Much like how we view climate change today.
But it struck me a few years ago that acid rain has quietly slipped off our radar.
Why is that? Did we cure the Earth of acid rain?
Keep on reading to find out why we don’t hear about it anymore.
The Acid Rain Phenomenon in the 80s and 90s
Acid rain became a household term in the 80s and 90s, and it was as notorious as the mullet.
But it wasn’t just a passing fad. In Canada, we saw its effects on our many forests and pristine lakes. While our neighbours in the USA were dealing with their own acid rain challenges.
Acid Rain in Pop Culture
The issue even seeped into pop culture.
Remember the environmental superhero cartoons like “Captain Planet?” Where villains were often soulless, money hungry industrial polluters with no regard for the environment?
That was pretty much acid rain personified.
We had songs, TV specials, and even school projects dedicated to understanding and combating this invisible threat.
I can remember a particular song that my Grade 5 (1990-91) class, performed at a school concert raising awareness about environmental issues like acid rain.
We performed a song “Evergreen Everblue,” by children’s musician Raffi. It’s kinda obscure, but here’s a live version of Raffi performing the tune with some kid singers (not my class).
The Science Behind Acid Rain
Acid rain sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, right?
But it’s actually pretty simple science. One of the top science fair projects in our school science fair back in the day was all about acid rain. I’m pretty sure the grade 6 student scientist explained acid rain like this:
It’s when pollutants like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides (all the bad stuff that industrial processes and factories spew into the air), meet the atmosphere, and they’re like, “let’s party!” And they mix with water vapour. Then that nasty poison that was created falls to Earth in what we call acid rain.
To take this a little further, our teachers explained that burning fossil fuels in power plants, vehicles, and industrial processes, released harmful gases into the air.
Once released, these gases react with water vapour in the atmosphere to form sulphuric acid (H2SO4) and nitric acid (HNO3), respectively.
This process can be catalyzed by sunlight, increasing the rate of acid formation.
The resulting acidic compounds are then incorporated into rain, snow, fog, or dew, creating what is known as acid rain. It has a lower pH than normal rainwater, and can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic life, soil, architecture, and infrastructure.
It can also contribute to the acidification of lakes and streams. Making them inhospitable for many fish and other aquatic organisms.
Lots of stuff we did in the 80s and early 90s was bad for the environment.
We were all guilty of contributing to environmental degradation as we rode in our wood panelled station wagons and minivans to and fro and while all kinds of toxic emissions from our tailpipes entered the atmosphere.
These primarily consisted of pollutants such as hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and carbon monoxide (CO). These wreak havoc on Mother Nature when left unchecked and unregulated.
Fun Fact to Impress Your Friends: Did you know that acid rain can be more acidic than vinegar? Imagine that on your fish and chips!
Key Movements and Actions Taken
In Canada, we were really concerned because our geography is like a giant playground for acid rain, with all our lakes and forests.
In the 80s and 90s, Canada was at the forefront of environmental advocacy, working closely with the U.S. to address cross-border pollution.
Think of it as an environmental buddy-cop movie where both countries had to find common ground to save the day.
Policy to the Rescue
One of the biggest victories was the Canada-United States Air Quality Agreement in 1991.
This was like Batman teaming up with Superman to combat a common foe.
At the time, the President of the United States was George H. W. Bush, and the Prime Minister of Canada was Brian Mulroney. They worked together to start taking accountability for our environmental blunders and recklessness.
This was back when science and scientists were highly regarded, and important consultants when it came to trying to ensure environmental sustainability. Weird, right?
This agreement led to significant reductions in the emissions causing acid rain. It wasn’t just a handshake and a photo op; this agreement had teeth and resulted in real change.
The Shift: Why We Don’t Hear About Acid Rain Anymore
In the years leading up to Y2K and into the early 2000s, technological advancements lead to significant declines in the amount of harmful gases created by the industrial machine.
Once engineers put their minds to it, and once there was buy-in from legislators and industrial company CEOs and Boards of Directors, a cleaner way of doing business was able to be realized.
When harmful emissions couldn’t be reduced enough, “scrubbers” or giant filters were designed to be installed in exhaust stacks to “scrub” the really harmful bits out of the cocktail of gases created during manufacturing, prior to the emissions being released into the air.
These advances in pollution control meant that industries reduced the harmful emissions that contributed to the formation of acid rain.
Thus it ceased to be a big concern anymore.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind?
So, was acid rain totally exterminated?
Not exactly.
We got better at managing it, but the truth is, it also kind of fell off the public radar.
Maybe it’s because we’ve got new environmental issues to contend with, like climate change.
Or perhaps it’s just not as attention-grabbing as it used to be for a headline.
But let’s not forget, just because it’s not in the news doesn’t mean it’s not important.
Critical Analysis: What We Learned from the Acid Rain Saga
Looking back, the acid rain scare was more than just an environmental issue; it was a wake-up call.
It showed us that environmental problems know no borders and require global cooperation.
The success in reducing acid rain was a positive example of what we could achieve when countries worked together.
Sure, acid rain might not be the talk of the town anymore, but it set the stage for today’s environmental battles.
It’s a classic case of learning from the past to protect our future.
Keep the Environmental Spirit Alive!
Acid rain, the environmental villain that rocked the 80s and 90s, now seems like a distant memory.
But just like the fashion of those decades (which, let’s be honest, is making a comeback), the lessons from this saga remain relevant.
They remind us to stay vigilant and proactive about environmental issues.
There was a time, when our generation was touted as the generation that we going to clean things up after the mess our parents made. We got hip to the fact that if we don’t become better stewards of the environment, the future for our children, and our children’s children, looked pretty grim.
While advances have been made that have helped to slow our careless destruction of the world around us, we still have a ways to go.
Like we learned back in the 80s and 90s, every small action counts.
So, remember the 3 R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle. Turn off that light when you leave the room, and leave the acid rain in the rearview mirror.
Together, we can make sure that the only acid we talk about is in our batteries, or used to describe that retro denim style we all loved – acid-washed jeans.
Craig is a partner, and proud father of a teenage daughter, and two dogs. He's an avid blogger who loves researching and discussing 80s and 90s nostalgia. When not working on his website or hanging with his fam, Craig enjoys playing guitar, watching lacrosse, and being near water.