Acid Rain
The first Science Links™ project began in late 1999 as a team of 12 scientists convened to review and analyze existing data on acid deposition. Acid deposition research has been a long-standing part of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study. Because choices regarding air pollution continue to be made at the local, state and federal levels, summarizing research for policy-makers and the public is vitally important.
In March 2001, HBRF released its first Science Links™ report, Acid Rain Revisited. The report was based on a peer-reviewed journal article published in BioScience. Acid Rain Revisited and the BioScience paper were released at a large press conference. Because of the report’s quality presentation of the issue, the media portrayed the scientific information accurately almost across the board.
Since HBRF initiated this Science Links™ project, we have conducted more than 20 briefings with policy-makers, co-sponsored a major conference on the effects of acid deposition on the forest, generated worldwide media coverage in 300 outlets, and increased the topic’s visibility in Congress. HBRF will continue to bring accurate scientific information on acid deposition to the public and policy-makers.
Publications
- Acid Rain Revisited (pdf)
- Acid Rain Fact Sheet (pdf)
- Summary: Acidic Deposition in the Northeastern U.S. (BioScience,vol.51,no.3,2001)