This paper examines whether acid rain should be elevated to a formal political issue on both national and international agendas. Drawing on research from multiple countries, the paper traces the causes of acid rain — primarily sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion and industrial activity — and documents its cross-border spread and harmful effects on human health, ecosystems, food safety, and cultural heritage. The paper argues that because acid rain disregards political boundaries and threatens human lives, it constitutes an ethical problem requiring coordinated political action. It calls for an international regulatory body, mandatory emissions reductions, and increased forestation efforts, citing examples from China, India, Canada, Norway, and Sweden to support its case.
Acid rain is a problem that does not respect political barriers, making it a truly global issue. The world's population is currently around 7 billion and is still dramatically increasing. This growth is accompanied by increased land usage, deforestation, and industrialization, all of which contribute to environmental pollution. A major environmental hazard arising from these trends is sulphur dioxide. Urban areas are significant contributors to this particularly harmful pollutant. It is released as a result of poorly controlled combustion — whether from factories, coal power plants, or even domestic use of sulphur-containing fuel. Volcanoes represent the primary natural source of elevated sulphur content in the environment (Acid Rain, 2011).
The question that naturally arises is whether acid rain constitutes an ethical issue, and whether it should be made a political one. After analyzing several studies, the answer is clear: acid rain should become a formal political concern. The problem is compounded by the fact that acid rain does not respect political boundaries, leading to widespread damage to land and human health. The Journal of the American Medical Association has found an association between sulphur dioxide levels in the atmosphere and elevated mortality rates. When human lives are in danger, an ethical problem necessarily arises. With two major wars since the year 2000 and multiple volcanic eruptions, global levels of sulphur dioxide have risen. Laws need to be passed and this increase must be brought under control.
Sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions in the atmosphere cause acid rain. Wind can carry these chemicals for miles; they are eventually converted to sulphuric acid and nitric acid when dissolved in water. Wet deposition occurs when these chemicals fall as rain, hail, or snow. However, detrimental effects on health and the broader ecosystem can occur regardless of the physical state of these chemicals (Acid Rain, 2011).
Comparatively more humid coastal areas are at greater risk from acid rain's most harmful effects. Deforested lands have thin surface soils, greater runoff, and lower buffering capacity. Deforestation occurring alongside industrialization is another contributing factor to the severity of acid rain. Countries with smaller forested areas are also at higher risk. Asia is a major contributor of sulphur dioxide to the atmosphere. This is not surprising, given that eighty percent of Asia's energy consumption is derived from fossil fuels, particularly coal. Global emissions of sulphur dioxide peaked in the 1970s, declined until the year 2000, and have since risen again — a recent increase attributed mainly to Asia, particularly developing countries, and to international shipping (Shah et al., 2000; Acid Rain, 2011).
With increasing poverty in Africa and much of Asia, acid rain has attracted little political attention in these regions. Research suggests that if current emission trends in Asia continue, the continent's output may equal that of North America and the whole of Europe combined (Shah et al., 2000). An international regulatory body, comparable to the WHO, needs to be established to maintain updated statistics on the matter and to encourage countries to allocate a portion of their national budgets to forestation and to reducing sulphur dioxide concentrations in the environment.
In a study conducted by the WHO, Iran, India, Pakistan, and the capital of Mongolia ranked among the worst globally for air pollution, while cities in the United States and Canada were among the best. The WHO has established guideline values for sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide at both 24-hour and 10-minute mean exposures. According to these guidelines, exposure to sulphur dioxide levels at 500 micrograms per cubic meter should not exceed ten minutes, as it can lead to pulmonary manifestations — particularly in individuals with a pre-existing pulmonary disease (WHO, 2011).
"China's $60 billion loss and India's Taj Mahal erosion"
"Norway, Sweden, Canada, and downwind acid rain effects"
"Desulphurization, China's policy results, and international action"
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