Book Review

by Paul Ganderton

McCormick J. 1997. Acid Earth: The Politics of Acid Pollution. 3rd edn. Earthscan. pp xvii + 190.ISBN 1 85383 298 7. £12.95

Since the publication of the first edition in 1985 the public arguments surrounding acid rain may have gone away but the problem, as McCormick reminds us, has not. The text is divided into two parts looking at the problem of acidification and the political responses. Thus the first part examines the causes and effect of acid rain - how it is caused, what damage it creates, how it can be controlled and the policies (mainly, but not exclusively international agreements) that can be put in place to reduce the problem. The second part acts as a counterfoil. Here, national and international responses are outlined and their effectiveness discussed. This means not just the "standard" nations like the UK, Sweden etc. but the rest of the EU, Russia and Eastern Europe, North America and the newly industrialising countries. Although seen as a regional problem McCormick reminds us that it is a truly global one. A concluding chapter reinforces this as well as highlight the successes, failures and prospects for this pollution issue.

As with the other editions, this one is very well written with complex scientific ideas presented clearly for the lay person. It remains one of the most readable accounts and deserves the widest readership.