2026-04-23T18:30:20+00:00 Zend_Feed_Writer https://mnenvironments.carleton.edu/ Minnesota Environments https://mnenvironments.carleton.edu 2014-11-04T14:46:39+00:00 2019-08-13T12:59:07+00:00 https://mnenvironments.carleton.edu/items/show/26 Maja Black , Sarah Goodman and the Minnesota Environments Team “Acid rain was the first environmental issue where it became crystal clear to everybody that we can’t address this as a problem in isolation. In the past, we looked at a problem and would say, ‘okay - the Cuyahoga River caught on fire; well [therefore] we have to reduce the emissions that are going into the Cuyahoga River.’ It’s a fairly geographically limited, tiny package. But acid rain, the air moves everywhere: one day it’s blowing this way and one day it’s blowing that way, and there are sources on both sides of the border. “ - Dr. Gregory Pratt, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency To experienced organizations committed to protecting Minnesota’s natural resources, acid rain presented a major but, ultimately, manageable threat. The citizenry of Minnesota took forceful action through the democratic process, and seemed to value environmental protection over their pocketbooks. Perhaps the most exciting and hopeful result of this political action was that it worked. The air quality is better today than it was in 1980 when the danger was first recognized. The threat of acid rain was recognized, combated, and to an extent, curtailed. This remarkable accomplishment is indicative of an environmental awareness and a proactive electorate. This is an example of what can be achieved when people recognize a threat to their environment and well-being, and take concerted democratic action to alter the course of events. Furthermore, Minnesotans chose to make personal and economic sacrifices to benefit the environment, costing themselves to protect the nature around them. This seems like a teachable moment in which one state confronted a national environmental problem and effected positive environmental changes. In setting our sights on new environmental issues, Minnesota’s acid rain story serves as a valuable reminder of the power of civic action taken against an environmental obstacle. For more (including 1 sound clip), view the original article. 2014-11-04T14:46:26+00:00 2019-08-13T12:59:07+00:00 https://mnenvironments.carleton.edu/items/show/25 Maja Black , Sarah Goodman and the Minnesota Environments Team The combination of new acid rain scholarship and existing organizations motivated Minnesotans to take action. In 1982, the state passed the Acid Deposition Control Act. This act recognized that "acid precipitation substantially resulting from the conduct of commercial and industrial operations, both within and without the state, poses a present and severe danger to the delicate balance of ecological systems within the state, and that the failure to act promptly and decisively to mitigate or eliminate this danger will soon result in untold and irreparable damage to the agricultural, water, forest, fish, and wildlife resources of the state." Additionally, the act reallocated taxpayer dollars to the participating government agencies: the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the Minnesota Department of Health. Lastly, the legislation mandated that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), a government organization responsible for researching environmental threats, do two main things: 1) investigate the science behind acid rain, and 2) following this research, they would devise and implement an acid deposition control strategy. The MPCA researchers concluded that ninety percent of sulfur emissions were, in fact, coming from out of state. Moreover, over ten percent came from as far away as Texas. Seasonal winds brought the sulfur-laden air straight to Minnesota. This led to a necessary realization: there were limits on what a single state could do to curtail a national problem. However, Minnesota could reduce its own internal emissions on both the individual and the industrial level. For individuals, the MPCA recommended reduction of sulfur and nitrogen oxide emissions by curbing unnecessary driving and conserving energy. In collaboration with the MPCA, the Acid Rain Foundation, Inc. suggested, “By cutting down on energy use, we also can reduce the need for new, potentially polluting power plants.” For the already existing power companies, as the greatest contributors, meeting the MPCA’s standards necessitated a shift from high-sulfur coal from the East to newly available low-sulfur coal from the West. By mandating this change from eastern to western coal, the cost of energy rose for the suppliers. Ultimately, the cost of clean air fell more heavily on the suppliers than on the citizenry. For more (including 2 images), view the original article. 2014-11-04T13:54:23+00:00 2019-08-13T12:59:07+00:00 https://mnenvironments.carleton.edu/items/show/12 Maja Black , Sarah Goodman and the Minnesota Environments Team. From the 1970s onward, acid rain started to gain national and international attention as a threat to the environment. A direct result of human air pollution, acid rain occurs when large amounts of fossil fuels with high sulfur content, like coal, release sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the air. Once exposed to elements in the atmosphere, these oxides then undergo chemical transformations into acids, which, when deposited upon land or water, have damaging effects on the local ecosystems. For example, acid precipitation lowers the pH of aquatic systems, which endangers the aquatic life. Unlike many localized environmental problems, the effects of acid rain are widespread and not confined to the areas in which the sulfur dioxides originated. Studies in Scandinavia determined that winds from Great Britain and continental Europe were carrying pollutants to Norway and Sweden, acidifying their lakes and streams. This same phenomenon was occurring in North America: heavy fossil fuel burning in places like Texas made toxic waste products airborne, and cross-country winds carried and deposited these pollutants in states as far away as Minnesota. This was an example of an environmental problem that could not be solved by local action alone and, in fact, implicated human environmental activity on a broader scale. In Minnesota, the threat of acid rain registered on multiple levels. First, Northeastern Minnesota’s biome is particularly susceptible to the effects of acid rain. Furthermore, this large area of the state was sensitive to the effects of acidification both culturally and economically. Symbolically, the Minnesotan identity is closely tied to its label as the “land of 10,000 lakes." This image, however, is one of clean waters and healthy ecosystems. As such, acid rain posed a threat to the state identity. Not only that, but the lakes also serve as important economic and social resources. As one of the largest industries in the state, tourism depends upon the health and wellbeing of the fishing, hunting, and camping environment. It was obvious that the effects of acid rain would not just impact the environment -- it had the potential to threaten Minnesota’s culture, identity, and industry statewide. For more (including 5 images), view the original article.